THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  CHINESE  SUGAR-CANE. 


TUB 


CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE; 


of 

MANUFACTURE  OF  THE  SUGAR,  ETC. 


IlEPORTS  OF  ITS  SUCCESS  IN  DIFFERENT  PORTIONS  OF  THE   UNITED 
STATES,  AND  LETTERS  FROM  DISTINGUISHED  MEN. 


WRITTEN  AND  COMPILED  BT 


JAMES    F.   C.  HYDE, 

OF    WALNUT    GROVE    NURSERY,    NEWTON    CENTRE,    MASS. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  COMPANY. 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO  : 
HENRY     P.     B.    JEWETT. 

1857. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  by 

JOHN   P.  JEWETT   &   CO., 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


HOBAKT   &   BOBBINS, 

New  England  Type  an  j  Stereotype  Foa 
BOSTON. 


PREFACE. 


FEW  subjects  are  of  greater  importance  to  us,  as 
a  people,  than  the  producing  of  sugar ;  for  no  coun- 
try in  the  world  consumes  so  much  as  the  United 
States,  in  proportion  to  its  population.  It  is  a  sub- 
ject of  special  interest  at  this  time,  on  account  of 
the  great  advance  that  has  taken  place  in  the  price 
of  this  very  important  product. 

We  have  been  hoping  for  years  to  obtain  a  plant 
which  would  produce  sugar  in  the  northern  portion 
of  our  country ;  and  it  is  supposed  by  many  that  we 
have  at  last  succeeded.  But  whether  we  have  or 
not,  the  subject  is  exciting  a  great  deal  of  interest, 
especially  with  the  writer;  and  his  attention  has  been 
given  to  the  new  plant,  —  not,  however,  without  fear 
that  it  would  prove,  like  many  other  new  things, 
comparatively  worthless.  Having  ascertained  cer- 
tain facts  in  regard  to  it,  he  was  induced  to  give 
them  to  the  public  through  the  newspapers,  suppos- 
ing that  that  would  be  the  last  of  it,  so  far  as  he 
was  concerned.  But,  to  his  surprise,  letters  began 
to  pour  in,  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  a  day,  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  from  Maine  to  Minnesota, 
asking  for  further  information,  and  for  seed  of  the 
plant.  These  letters  were  answered,  and  seed  sent 
free  of  charge,  until  they  came  so  thick  and  fast,  he 
was  obliged  to  say  that  he  could  not  answer  them 
in  detail. 

Finding  there  was  such  a  desire  to  obtain  infor- 

l*  550083 


IV  PREFACE. 

mation,  on  the  part  of  the  public,  he  was  induced, 
at  the  suggestion  of  a  friend,  to  get  up  this  little, 
unpretending  volume.  No  merit  is  claimed  for  it, 
other  than  that  it  is  the  truth,  and  the  whole  truth, 
so  far  as  the  experience  of  the  writer  goes,  and  so 
far  as  he  has  been  able  to  obtain  information  from 
other  sources ;  for  he  has  carefully  avoided  every- 
thing that  did  not  seem  to  be  well  authenticated. 

The  writer  hopes  and  believes  this  little  work 
will  prove  useful  to  those  who  wish  for  information 
in  regard  to  the  new  plant  of  which  it  treats.  He 
has  given  all  the  information  that  could  be  obtained 
on  the  subject.  The  work  was  attended  with  some 
difficulties,  owing  to  the  fact  of  the  recent  introduc- 
tion of  the  plant,  and  consequently  the  short  time 
there  has  been  to  try  experiments  with  it.  The 
writer  feels  a  deep  interest  in  this  subject,  and  that 
has  led  him  to  bring  this  before  the  public.  But, 
while  he  gives  the  result  of  his  own  experience,  he 
also  gives  a  statement  of  most  of  the  experiments 
that  have  been  made  in  the  country.  For  an  ac- 
count of  these  he  is  indebted  to  Richard  Peters, 
Esq.,  who  furnished  a  detailed  report  of  his  trial  of 
the  cane  ;  D.  Redmond,  editor  of  the  Southern  Cul- 
tivator ;  the  Patent  Office  Reports,  and  some  of  the 
agricultural  papers  North  and  South. 

The  object  of  this  work  is  to  supply  the  public 
with  accurate  knowledge  concerning  this  new  and 
valuable  plant,  —  Chinese  Sugar-Cane.  How  far 
he  has  accomplished  that  object  the  reader  must 

iudge. 

J.  F.  C.  H. 

NEWTON  CENTRE,  Dec.  20/A,  1856 


THE 


CHINESE  SUGAR-CANE. 


THE  great  value  and  extensive  consumption  of 
the  products  of  the  sugar-cane  lead  us  to  feel  a 
deep  interest  in  its  cultivation,  and  especially 
now  that  prices  are  so  high ;  and  while  we 
believe  that  we  have,  in  the  new  Chinese  sugar- 
cane, a  plant  adapted  even  to  the  most  northern 
of  the  United  States,  and  one  too  that  can  be 
grown  so  easily,  and  yield  so  richly.  Sugar  is 
no  longer  a  mere  luxury,  denied  to  all  but  the 
rich  and  great,  as  it  was  once,  but  is  used  by  all 
classes.  It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the 
reader  to  give  something  of  the  history  and 
origin  of  the  sugar-cane.  All  the  evidence  goes 
to  show  that  China  was  the  first  country  that 
cultivated  it,  and  manufactured  sugar  ;  and  not 
only  were  the  Chinese  the  first,  but  there  is 
good  reason  to  believe  that  they  enjoyed  its  use 


6  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

many  centuries  before  it  was  generally  known 
and  used  in  Europe.  Indeed,  it  would  farther 
seem  that  they  not  only  possessed  the  art  of 
extracting  the  juice,  but  a  knowledge  of  the 
whole  process,  down  to  refining  sugar.  Strange 
as  it  may  seem,  it  was  a  long  time  in  finding  its 
way  over  the  different  countries  where  it  is  now 
so  profitably  cultivated.  When  first  known,  it 
went  by  the  name  of  Indian  salt,  and  under  that 
name  it  was  sent  abroad  from  China  to  India 
and  Arabia,  and  thence  to  Rome  and  Greece, 
among  the  costly  spices,  and  was  considered  a 
rare  luxury.  The  cultivation  of  the  plant  grad- 
ually extended  over  the  different  countries  of 
Europe. 

It  is  supposed  that  it  was  known  in  the  south 
of  Europe  as  early  as  the  ninth  century,  for 
there  is  evidence  that  it  was  cultivated  at  Sicily 
and  the  islands  in  its  vicinity ;  but  it  was  not  until 
the  thirteenth  century  that  the  cane  became  gen- 
erally known  and  cultivated  on  that  continent. 
It  has  finally  extended  over  most  of  the  civilized 
world  where  the  climate  is  adapted  to  its 
growth.  For  some  time  after  the  introduction 
of  sugar  into  Europe  it  was  used  only  on  great 
occasions,  such  as  feasts,  and  for  medicines  ;  and 
in  a  different  form  from  what  it  is  now  com- 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  7 

monly  used, —  more  like  our  candy;  —  and  it 
is  within  a  hundred  years  that  the  sugar-cane 
was  first  brought  to  this  country  and  cultivated 
to  some  extent  in  Louisiana,  on  the  very  place 
where  the  city  of  New  Orleans  now  stands.  But 
the  planter  was  not  able  to  do  any  more  than 
make  syrup,  not  perhaps  ever  expecting  to  make 
sugar ;  yet  we  see  since  that  time  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  hogsheads  have  been  produced 
every  year.  Why  may  not  the  same  results  fol- 
low the  introduction  of  the  new  Chinese  sugar- 
cane ?  The  following  account  is  given  of  the 
first  experiment  of  sugar-making  in  that  state  : 

"  Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,"  says 
the  highest  authority,  "  a  gentleman  residing  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans  determined  to 
attempt  the  manufacture  of  sugar.  The  crop 
was  properly  increased,  the  machinery  procured, 
and  a  sugar-maker  procured  from  the  West 
Indies.  The  result  of  the  experiment  was  anx- 
iously looked  for  by  the  whole  surrounding  coun- 
try. The  inhabitants  of  New  Orleans  and  its 
neighborhood  assembled  in  great  numbers,  but 
remained  outside  of  the  building,  probably 
through  fear  that  the  experiment  would  not  suc- 
ceed. The  strike  was  made  amidst  profound 
silence ;  when  the  *  second '  was  thrown  into 


8  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

the  coolers,  the  sugar-maker  announced  to  the 
anxious  crowd,  in  technical  language,  '  It 
grains  ! '  shouts  of  joy  rent  the  air,  and  the  news 
spread  with  rapidity  that  the  juice  of  the  cane 
grown  in  lower  Louisiana  had  been  manufactured 
into  crystallized  sugar,  and  a  new  impulse  was 
given  to  the  cultivation  of  cane."  Year  by  year 
this  crop  has  increased  in  value,  and  has  now 
become  a  very  valuable  one,  and  a  great  article 
of  commerce.  What  variety  of  cane  was  first 
brought  from  China  and  India,  I  do  not  know, 
but  probably  one  of  the  sorts  that  are  now  culti- 
vated in  the  West  Indies,  and  in  our  own  sugar- 
producing  state,  Louisiana. 

It  may  be  well  to  give  a  few  statistics  con- 
cerning the  amount  of  sugar  consumed  in  this 
country,  and  other  facts  connected  with  the  trade 
in  this  article.  There  is,  annually,  consumed  in 
the  country,  upwards  of  800,000,000  pounds,  or 
about  30  pounds  to  each  person ;  which  is  cer- 
tainly a  large  amount,  much  larger  than  is  con- 
sumed in  any  other  country,  in  proportion  to  its 
inhabitants.  In  Great  Britain,  each  person  con- 
sumes 24  pounds  ;  Belgium,  18  ;  Holland,  IT  ; 
France,  8  ;  Denmark,  6  ;  Sweden,  4  ;  •  Russia, 
2|.  This  shows  conclusively  that  the  people  of 
the  United  States  consume  more  sugar  than  those 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  9 

of  any  country.  •  It  is  considered  indispensable 
by  every  one,  and  its  use  judged  conducive  to 
health.  According  to  the  Patent  Office  report 
of  1853-4,  by  the  census  returns  of  1840,  the 
amount  of  cane-sugar  made  in  the  Union,  that 
year,  was  119,995,104  pounds  ;  in  1850,  247,- 
577,000  pounds,  showing  an  increase  of  127,- 
581,896  pounds,  besides  12,700,896  gallons  of 
molasses.  The  amount  of  cane  and  maple  sugar 
made  in  the  United  States  in  1853-4  may  be 
estimated  at  545,000,000  pounds,  which  at  six 
cents  —  and  it  is  worth  much  more  than  that  — 
would  be  worth  $32,700,000,  besides  14,000,000 
gallons  of  molasses  and  syrup,  which,  at  30  cents, 
would  be  worth  $4,200,000.  A  large  part  of 
the  sugar  which  is  produced  in  this  country 
comes  from  Louisiana,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing returns  for  the  years  1853-4,  —  one 
year's  product, — in  all,  449,324  hogsheads,  or 
about  495,156,000  pounds.  Thus,  it  will  be 
seen  that  Louisiana  supplied  much  more  than 
was  produced  in  the  whole  country  in  1850. 
But  we  see,  by  late  returns,  that  the  crop  has 
fallen  off,  so  that  in  1855  it  was  only  231,427 
hogsheads,  or  but  little  more  than  half  what  it 
was  in  1853  ;  and  this  probably  is  one  great 


10  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

reason  why  sugar  is  so  much  dearer  than  for- 
merly. 

According  to  the  statement  of  the  New  York 
Shipping  and  Commercial  List,  the  total  import- 
ation of  foreign  sugars  into  the  United  States  for 
the  year  ending  December  31,  1855,  was  382,- 
786  hogsheads,  of  1200  pounds  each ;  in  1854, 
309,726  hogsheads.  According  to  Hunt's  Mag- 
azine, the  total  decrease  of  cane-sugar  in  1855, 
as  compared  with  1854,  was  If  per  cent.  The 
amount  of  sugar  consumed  in  the  United  States 
in  1855  was  about  766,000  hogsheads,  of  1200 
pounds  each.  The  greatest  amount  produced  in 
Louisiana  in  one  season  being  449,324  hogs- 
heads, of  1000  pounds  each.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  amount  of  maple-sugar  made  in  the  United 
States  in  1850  was  34,253,436  pounds.  Of 
this,  New  York  produced  10,357,484 ;  Vermont, 
5,980,955  ;  Ohio,  4,588,209  ;  and  so  on,  every 
state  producing  some. 

I  might  go  more  extensively  into  statistics,  if 
necessary,  to  show  the  importance  and  value  of 
this  crop  ;  but  deem  it  unnecessary,  as  every  per- 
son is  compelled  to  own  that  it  is  second  to  few 
other  crops.  And  though  we  see,  by  the  facts 
presented,  that  the  culture  of  sugar-cane  and  the 
manufacture  of  sugar  from  the  maple  has  greatly 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  11 

increased  within  the  past  few  years,  and  that  it 
must  naturally  increase  in  time  to  come,  yet  the 
demand  has  been  greater  than  the  supply,  or,  in 
otl\er  words,  the  demand  being  so  active  and  the 
supply  limited,  prices  have  greatly  advanced,  so 
that  sugar  that  was  sold  ten  years  ago  for  six 
cents  is  now  worth  nine  and  ten  cents,  or  nearly 
double  what  it  was  then.  There  are  several 
reasons  for  this  :  much  more  is  used  than  for- 
merly for  preserving  fruits,  for  confectionery, 
&c.  ;  less  sugar  is  produced  in  the  British  West 
Indies  than  formerly ;  new  markets  have  been 
opened  and  have  been  supplied ;  while  hard  win- 
ters in  Louisiana  have,  in  some  instances,  killed 
out  the  cane,  and  there  have  been  many  other 
things  to  contend  with  in  its  growth,  all  of  which 
have  tended  to  diminish  the  supply  of  this  valu- 
able article.  There  are  other  well-known  facts 
connected  with  sugar-growing  in  Louisiana, 
which  show  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  there 
are  in  the  way  of  sugar-growing  in  that  state. 
One  is,  the  great  expense  they  must  be  at  in 
draining  the  land,  and  preparing  it  for  the  growth 
of  the  cane.  This  objection  will  hold  good  of 
much  of  the  land  on  which  sugar-cane  is  grown  ; 
then,  when  the  cane  is  matured,  they  must  reserve 
about  a  fourth  of  their  entire  crop  for  next  year's 
2 


12  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

setting.  Their  cane  is  grown  from  cuttings  or 
joints  of  last  year's  growth,  unlike  the  West 
India  cane,  which  lives  in  the  ground  year  after 
year,  or  the  Chinese  sugar-cane,  which  produces 
seed  from  which  it  may  be  grown  ;  —  the  cane 
hitherto  cultivated  never  seeds  in  this  country, 
and  rarely  anywhere.  It  has  also  deteriorated 
from  being  reproduced  in  this  way  year  after  year, 
from  cuttings,  so  that  it  takes  more  acres  to  yield 
the  same  amount  of  sugar  than  formerly.  Sugar- 
cane will  not  flourish  on  a  wet  soil.  In  regard 
to  maple-sugar,  it  may  be  said  that  the  supply 
will  probably  be  limited  ;  and  even  allow  that  it 
should  continue  for  many  years  to  come  as  it  is, 
or  even  increase,  how  much  would  it  do  towards 
supplying  a  constantly  increasing  demand?  The 
same  argument  will  apply,  and  perhaps  with 
greater  force,  to  the  manufacture  of  beet-sugar, 
to  which  considerable  attention  has  been  paid  in 
France,  though  but  little  has  been  done  in  our 
own  country.  In  1810,  when  Napoleon  the 
Great  did  everything  in  his  power  to  encourage 
the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-beet,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  sugar,  there  was  produced  that  year 
2,000,000  pounds,  or  about  one  fifty-eighth  part 
as  much  as  France  consumed.  Subsequent  to 
that,  its  manufacture  increased  to  an  extraordi- 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  13 

nary  extent,  and  annually  yielded  24,000,000 
pounds.  When  a  tax  was  laid  upon  domestic 
sugars,  it  again  decreased.  But,  for  the  year 
preceding  the  first  of  September,  1853,  there 
was  manufactured  in  France,  from  the  sugar-beet, 
165,680,790  pounds.  A  great  portion  of  the  beet 
crop  of  France  is  now  used  for  the  manufacture 
of  brandy,  the  grape  crop  having  partially  failed. 
The  reputation  and  demand  of  French  brandy  is 
such,  that  it  becomes  profitable  to  use  the  beet 
crop  for  this  purpose,  rather  than  to  make  sugar. 
By  this  France  becomes  dependent  on  foreign 
countries  for  a  large  part  of  the  sugar  which  it 
consumes.  The  beet  culture  for  sugar  has  been 
extended  over  Germany,  Belgium,  and  other 
European  states. 

A  writer  in  the  Boston  Herald,  speaking  of 
the  deficiencies  of  the  sugar  crop  of  our  own  and 
other  countries,  and  showing  that  the  crop  of 
Louisiana  will  be  very  much  smaller  than  last 
year,  goes  into  some  figures  to  show  this  fact, 
and  quotes  from  the  Philadelphia  Journal,  which 
says  :  "  In  all  probability,  before  next  summer, 
the  sugar  sold  at  eight  cents  a  pound  in  1854 
will  reach  at  least  double  that  sum.  John 
Brown,  the  laborer,  must  therefore  prepare  to 
sweeten  his  tea  with  steam-syrup  molasses." 


14  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

He  also  speaks  of  the  comparatively  small  yield, 
and  the  entire  inadequacy  of  the  maple-sugar  to 
meet  this  demand,  and  closes  by  recommending 
the  culture  of  the  sugar-beet.  He  cites  the 
success  of  the  French  in  this  branch  of  sugar 
manufacture  as  an  example  for  us,  and  thinks 
the  agricultural  department  of  the  Patent  Office 
ought  to  take  some  steps  to  bring  about  "  a  con- 
summation so  devoutly  to  be  wished," — a  de- 
crease in  the  price  of  sugar  and  molasses.  He 
further  says  :  "  The  annual  yield  of  beet-root 
sugar  in  France  averaged  for  a  number  of  ye#rs 
upwards  of  150,000,000  pounds.  This  immense 
production,  at  thirteen  cents  a  pound,  the  price 
we  now  pay  for  a  decent  article  of  Havana 
sugar,  at  retail,  gives  the  handsome  sum  of 
about  $20,000,000  added  yearly  to  French 
industry." 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  say  that  the 
sugar-beet  culture  has  been  attempted,  and  thus 
far  failed ;  and  I  very  much  doubt  if  it  can  be 
revived  and  be  made  profitable  to  compete  with 
the  new  Chinese  sugar-cane,  which  is  now  being 
brought  forward  to  supply,  if  possible,  the  defi- 
ciency in  the  sugar  and  syrup  crop  of  our  coun- 
try. I  have  no  doubt,  if  half  the  time  and  money 
are  spent  in  perfecting  the  manufacture  of  sugar 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  15 

from  the  new  cane  that  have  been  spent  in 
France  on  the  sugar-beet  culture,  and  manufac- 
ture of  sugar  therefrom,  surprising  and  very 
gratifying-  results  will  follow.  For,  not  only  will 
it,  in  my  opinion,  take  the  place  of  the  old 
varieties  of  cane  in  Louisiana,  and  thus  render 
the  crop  of  that  state  much  larger  and  more  sure, 
but  it  will  be  grown  in  almost  every  state  and 
territory  in  our  widely-extended  country,  either 
for  the  production  of  sugar  or  syrup,  for  both  of 
which  I  shall  attempt  to  show  it  is  adapted. 
Now,  what  do  these  facts  concerning  the  sugar 
crop  show  ?  Do  they  not  show  most  conclusively 
that  we  must,  if  possible,  increase  in  some  way 
the  annual  production  of  sugar  ?  —  and  the  ques- 
tion is,  how  shall  it  be  done  ?  The  only  remedy 
is  to  find  saccharine  plants  adapted  to  the  tem- 
perate zone,  so  that  they  may  be  profitably 
employed  in  the  production  of  sugar.  If  this  can 
be  done,  and  the  farmers  of  each  state  raise  and 
make  their  own  sugar  and  molasses  with  the 
same  ease  with  which  they  grow  wheat  and  other 
grain,  and  manufacture  it  into  flour,  then  these 
articles  will  be  so  extensively  raised  that  the 
supply  will  be  adequate  to  the  demand,  and 
prices  will  be  reduced  as  they  should  be,  so  that 
2* 


16  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

all,  both  poor  as  well  as  rich,  may  enjoy  the  ben- 
efit of  them. 

Most  of  us  have  hitherto  despaired  of  finding 
such  a  sugar-yielding  plant  that  could  be  grown 
in  a  northern  climate.  Perhaps  it  is  not  yet 
found  ;  but  we  may  hope,  and  not  without  strong 
reasons,  that  the  Chinese  sugar-cane  is  just  the 
article  calculated  to  supply  the  want.  So  that  we 
think  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  sugar  and 
syrup  or  molasses  enough  will  be  produced,  even 
in  the  New  England  States,  to  supply  our  wants, 
and  thus  relieve  our  country  of  the  heavy  tax  it 
has  paid  foreign  countries  for  this  very  useful 
and  necessary  article. 

Having  shown  to  some  extent  the  value  of  the 
sugar  crop,  the  increasing  demand  for  sugars  and 
molasses,  the  reasons  why  we  cannot  depend  upon 
the  present  sugar-growing  countries  for  a  supply 
at  fair  prices,  the  difficulties  they  have  to  overcome 
in  its  cultivation,  and,  lastly,  the  necessity  there 
seems  to  be  of  procuring  some  new  plant  that  will 
grow  everywhere,  and  produce  the  rich  saccharine 
matter  we  so  much  desire,  I  am  prepared  to 
introduce  to  the  attention  of  the  agriculturists  of 
our  country  the  new  Chinese  Sugar- Cane,  of 
which  we  shall  give  a  short  history,  and  then 
detail  the  results  that  have  followed  the  exper- 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  17 

iments  that  have  been  made  with  it  during  the 
past  two  years. 

D.  J.  Browne,  Esq.,  who  is  connected  with  the 
Patent  Office,  and  who,  I  believe,  first  introduced 
the  Chinese  sugar-cane  into  this  country,  gives 
us  the  following  full  and  valuable  account  of  it, 
in  the  report  of  1854  He  says  it  is  "a  new 
gramineous  plant,  which  .seems  to  be  destined  to 
take  an  important  position  among  our  economical 
products  ;  was  sent  some  four  years  since  from 
the  north  of  China,  by  M.  de  Montigny,  to  the 
Geographical  Society  of  Paris.  From  a  cursory 
examination  of  a  small  field  of  it  growing  at 
Verrieres,  in  France,  in  autumn  last,  I  was  led 
to  infer  that,  from  the  peculiarity  of  the  climate, 
and  its  resemblance  in  appearance  and  habit  to 
Indian  corn,  it  would  flourish  in  any  region 
wherever  that  plant  would  thrive.  But  how  far 
it  will  subserve  the  purpose  ascribed  to  it  in 
France,  should  it  even  succeed  in  every  part 
of  the  IJnited  States,  can  only  be  determined 
by  extended  experiments. 

* '  There  appears  to  be  a  doubt  among  the  sci- 
entific cultivators  in  Europe  as  to  the  botanical 
name  of  this  plant.  Holcus  Saccharatus,  which 
is  evidently  an  error,  has  been  provisionally 
adopted  by  M.  Louis  Vilmorin,  of  Paris  ;  but,  as 


18  THE   CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

the  term  is  already  applied  to  our  common  broom- 
corn,  if  not  to  other  species,  this  name  cannot 
with  propriety  be  retained.  Mr.  Leonard  Wray, 
of  London,  who  has  devoted  much  time  and 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  this  plant  with  a 
view  of  extracting  sugar  from  its  juice,  at  Cape 
Natal  and  other  places,  informed  me  that  in  the 
south-east  part  of  Caffvaria  there  are  at  least  fif- 
teen varieties  of  it,  some  of  them  growing  to  a 
height  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet,  with  stems  as 
thick  as  those  of  the  sugar-cane.  M.  Vilmorin 
also  says  that  in  a  collection  of  seeds  sent  to  the 
museum  at  Paris,  in  1840,  by  M.  de  Abadie,  there 
were  thirty  kinds  of  sorghum,  among  the 
growth  of  which  he  particularly  recognized  sev- 
eral plants  having  stems  of  a  saccharine  flavor. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  much  cause  of 

v 

confusion,  and  a  necessity  for  a  critical  exami- 
nation of  the  subject.  I  would  state,  however, 
that  Messrs.  Vilmorin  and  Greenland  are  engaged 
conjointly  in  the  cultivation,  and  in  determining 
the  properties  of  this  and  the  allied  species,  and 
we  have  every  reason  to  hope  that  their  researches 

will  enable  us  soon  to  know  their  botanical  types. 

******* 

"  Sorgho  Sucre  is  a  plant  which  on  rich  land 
grows  to  the  height  of  from  two  to  three  or  more 


THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  19 

yards.  Its  stems  are  straight  and  smooth,  having 
leaves  somewhat  flexous  and  falling  over,  greatly 
resembling  Indian  corn  in  appearance,  but  is  more 
elegant  in  form.  It  is  generally  cultivated  in  hills 
containing  eight  or  ten  stalks  each,  which  bear  at 
their  tops  a  conical  panicle  of  dense  flowers,  green 
at  first,  but  changing  into  violet  shades,  and, 
finally,  into  dark  purple  at  maturity.  In  France 
it  is  an  annual,  where  its  cultivation  and  period 
of  growth  correspond  to  those  of  Indian  corn  ; 
but,  from  observations  made  by  M.  Vilmorin, 
it  is  conjectured  that,  from  the  vigor  and  fulness 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  stalks  in  autumn,  by 
protecting  them  during  the  winter,  they  would 
produce  new  plants  the  following  spring.  If 
cultivated  in  our  Southern  States,  it  is  probable 
that  the  roots  would  send  forth  new  shoots  in 
spring,  without  protection,  in  the  same  manner 
as  its  supposed  congener,  the  Dourah  corn.  At 
the  North,  the  maturity  of  the  seed  probably 
would  be  more  certain  if  planted  in  some  shel- 
tered situation ;  but,  if  the  object  of  cultivating  be 
for  the  extracting  of  sugar,  or  for  fodder  for  ani- 
mals, an  open  culture  would  be  sufficient,  where 
the  soil  is  rich  and  light,  and  somewhat  warm. 
According  to  the  experiments  of  M.  Ponsart,  the 
seeds  vegetate  better  when  but  slightly  covered 


20  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

with,  earth.  M.  Ledocte  proposes  to  associate 
with  the  plant  another  of  more  rapid  growth, 
such  as  lettuce,  or  rape,  in  order  that  the  labor- 
ers may  distinguish  the  young  sorgho  from  grass, 
which  it  greatly  resembles  in  the  early  stage  of 
its  growth.  Any  suckers,  or  superfluous  shoots, 
which  may  spring  up  in  the  course  of  the  season, 
should  be  removed. 

"  The  great  object  sought  in  France,  in  the 
cultivation  of  this  plant,  is  the  juice  contained  in 
its  stalks,  which  furnishes  three  important  prod- 
ucts :  namely,  sugar,  which  is  identical  with  that 
of  cane  ;  alcohol,  and  a  fermented  drink  analo 
gous  to  cider.  This  juice,  when  obtained  with 
care  in  small  quantities,  by  depriving  the  stalk 
of  its  outer  coating,  or  woody  fibre  and  bark,  is 
nearly  colorless,  and  consists  merely  of  sugar  and 
water.  Its  density  varies  from  1.050  to  1.075, 
and  the  proportion  of  sugar  contained  in  it  from 
ten  to  sixteen  per  cent.,  a  third  part  of  which  is 
sometimes  uncrystallizable.  To  this  quantity  of 
uncrystallizable  sugar  this  juice  owes  its  facility 
of  readily  fermenting,  and  consequently  the  large 
amount  of  alcohol  it  produces,  compared  with  the 
saccharine  matter  observed  directly  by  the  sac- 
charometer.  In  so  far  as  the  manufacture  of 
sugar  is  concerned,  this  plant  appears  to  have 


THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  21 

but  little  chance  of  success  in  a  northern  climate, 
as  a  large  proportion  of  that  which  is  uncrystal- 
lizable  is  not  only  a  loss  in  the  manufacture,  but 
an  obstacle  to  the  extraction  of  what  is  crystal- 
lizable. 

"  It  must  not  be  understood,  however,  that  the 
produce  of  this  plant  is  unprolific  or  difficult  to 
obtain,  but  that,  all  things  being  equal,  its  nature 
renders  it  more  abundant  in  alcohol  than  in  sugar. 
Yet  it  would  be  very  different  in  the  warmer  cli- 
mate at  the  South,  where  the  sugar-cane  is  diffi- 
cult to  be  obtainedj  in  requiring  protection  from 
frost.  From  experiments  made  by  M.  Vilmorin, 
on  some  dried  stalks  of  sorgho  sent  from  Algeria, 
it  proved  that  the  product  of  sugar  obtained  from 
them  was  infinitely  superior  to  •  that  produced 
from  the  same  plant  which  had  been  cultivated 
near  Paris.  I  was  also  informed  by  Mr.  Wray, 
who  experimented  upon  the  juice  at  Natal,  that 
the  proportion  of  crystallizable  sugar  quite  pre- 
dominates where  the  climate  allows  the  plant 
fully  to  mature.  The  chief  advantage  of  the 
sorgho,  as  a  sugar-plant,  is  the  facility  of  its 
cultivation,  and  the  easy  treatment  of  the  juice. 
It  is  thought  that  the  rough  product  may  sur- 
pass that  of  the  sugar-cane  in  those  countries 
where  the  latter  is  an  annual,  and,  like  which, 


22  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

its  stalks  and  leaves  will  furnish  an  abundance 
of  nutritious  forage  for  sustaining  and  fattening 
animals.  As  the  molasses,  too,  is  identical  with 
that  manufactured  from  the  cane,  it  may  be  used 
in  the  distillation  of  rum,  alcohol,  and  a  liquor 
called  '  tafia,'  which  resembles  brandy. 

"  The  greatest  difficulty  to  be  apprehended, 
probably,  would  be  the  preservation  of  the  stalks 
from  fermenting,  owing  to  the  short  time  left  to  the 
manufacture.  This,  however,  might  be  obviated, 
as  Mr.  Wray  informed  me  that,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Natal,  the  Zoulous- Gaffers  preserved  it 
for  a  long  time  by  burying  the  stalks  in  the 
ground,  notwithstanding  the  climate  of  their 
country  is  very  warm  and  damp.  It  will  also 
be  observed,  that  in  the  manufacture  of  brandy, 
or  alcohol,  the  uncrystallizable  sugar  can  be 
turned  to  account,  which  in  a  measure  would 
otherwise  be  lost.  Another  advantage  consists 
in  the  pureness  of  the  juice,  which,  when  thus 
converted,  from  the  superiority  of  its  quality, 
can  immediately  be  brought  into  consumption 
and  use.  The  alcohol  produced  by  only  one  dis- 
tillation is  nearly  destitute  of  foreign  flavor,  hav- 
ing an  agreeable  taste,  somewhat  resembling 
noyau,  being  much  less  ardent,  or  fiery,  than 
rum. 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  23 

"  One  of  the  points  M.  Yilniorin  was  desirous 
of  establishing  was,  at  what  period  of  the  growjth 
the  stalks  began  to  contain  sugar,  and,  conse- 
quently, when  its  manufacture  should  commence. 
He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  coincided  with 
the  putting  forth  of  the  spikes  ;  but  the  propor- 
tion of  sugar  in  the  stalks  continued  to  increase, 
until  the  seeds  were  in  a  milky  state.  In  the 
plant  in  flower,  he  observed  that  the  amount  of 
sugar  diminished  in  the  merithalles  (parts  of  the 
stalks  between  the  nodes,  or  joints),  the  nearer 
they  were  to  the  top  ;  and  also  the  lower  part 
of  each  merithalle  contained  less  saccharine  mat- 
ter than  the  upper.  In  consequence  of  this,  and 
owing  to  the  smallness  and  hardness  of  the  lower 
knot,  the  centre  of  the  stalk  is  the  richest  por- 
tion. He  was  inclined  to  the  opinion  that,  at  a 
later  period,  the  merithalles  lower  down  the  stalk 
are  impoverished  in  the  amount,  if  not  in  the 
quality,  of  the  sugar  they  contain.  The  ripe- 
ness of  the  seeds  does  not  appear  much  to  lessen 
the  production  of  sugar,  at  least  in  the  climate 
near  Paris  ;  but  in  other  countries  where  it  ma- 
tures when  the  weather  is  still  warm,  the  effect 
may  be  different.  According  to  the  report  of  M. 
de  Beauregard,  addressed  to  the  '  Cornice  de 
Toulon,'  the  ripening  of  the  sorgho  in  that  lat- 
3 


24  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

itude  had  no  unfavorable  effect ;  and  he  con- 
siders the  seeds  and  the  sugar  as  two  products 
to  be  conjointly  obtained.  On  the  other  hand, 
Mr.  Wray  says  the  Zoulous-Caffers  are  in  the 
habit  of  pulling  off  the  panicles  of  the  plant  the 
moment  they  appear,  in  order  to  augment  the 
quantity  of  saccharine  matter  in  the  stalks.  This 
question  may  be  of  some  importance  in  our  South- 
ern States,  should  this  plant  supersede  in  any 
manner  the  sugar-cane.  Having  considered  some 
of  the  probabilities  of  this  product  in  an  eco- 
nomical point  of  view,  it  remains  only  for  me  to 
recommend  it  to  the  attention  of  others  who  may 
have  opportunities  to  cultivate  it,  and  the  means 
and  talent  to  prove  or  refute,  by  direct  experi- 
ments, its  worth." 

How  far  this  new  cane  will  stand  the  northern 
winters,  yet  remains  to  be  proved.  But  it  will 
be  seen  that  it  is  not  so  important  that  this  cane 
should  stand  the  winters,  for  it  can  be  grown 
readily  from  seed,  without  fear  of  deterioration, 
as  in  case  of  the  old  cane  grown  from  cuttings, 
which  produces  less  and  less  every  year,  showing 
most  clearly  that  it  cannot  be  depended  upon  for 
years  to  come.  In  fact,  so  apparent  has  this 
become,  that  fields  that  formerly  produced  3000 
to  4000  pounds  of  sugar  to  the  acre  now  only  pro- 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  25 

duce,  with  equally  good  treatment,  on  an  equally 
good  soil,  from  500  to  1000  pounds.  And  in 
order  to  preserve  the  sugar-fields  from  complete 
barrenness,  the  government  has  fitted  out  and 
placed  at  the  service  of  the  Patent  Office  a  vessel 
which  is  to  be  sent  out  with  a  competent  agent 
to  procure  sugar-cane  cuttings  from  abroad,  to 
stock  anew  the  plantations  of  the  South. 

The*  new  cane,  as  will  be  seen,  is  being  fully 
tested  in  France  by  men  competent  to  determine 
its  value,  and  to  whom  the  public  will  look  with 
interest,  while  we  shall  watch  with  still  greater 
interest  the  results  of  other  experiments  that 
will  be  made  next  season  in  our  own  country. 
It  has  been  found,  by  careful  experiment,  to 
yield  not  only  sugar  and  syrup,  but  alcohol ; 
and  the  juice,  when  fermented,  yields  a  drink 
much  like  cider  ;  when  set  with  alum,  the  juice 
of  the  husk  is  said  to  be  good  for  dyeing,  giving 
a  permanent  red  ;  the  trash,  or  waste,  after  it 
has  been  crushed  and  the  juice  expressed,  will 
make  a  good  article  of  paper,  while  the  seed 
that  the  plant  yields  possesses  fattening  proper- 
ties like  rice,  and  can  be  profitably  fed  out  to 
cattle,  swine,  &c.  And  this  is  not  all ;  it  will 
take  the  place  of  all  other  things  for  fodder  for 
cattle,  either  to  be  fed  green  or  dry,  all  of 


26  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

which  properties  will  be  treated  more  in  detail 
hereafter. 

First,  in  regard  to  obtaining  sugar  from  this 
cane.  But  little  has  been  done  yet,  it  is  true, 
though  sugar  has  been  made  from  it  both  in 
France  and  in  this  country,  so  that  the  matter 
is  not  at  all  in  doubt ;  the  only  question  being, 
whether  it  will  supersede  the  old  cane  in  the 
South,  and  can  be  profitably  cultivated  at  the 
North.  The  writer  made  a  small  quantity  of 
sugar  this  season,  which,  though  of  a  dark  color, 
for  the  want  of  knowledge  as  to  the  course  that 
ought  to  be  pursued,  yet  fully  proved  to  his 
mind  that  all  that  is  wanted  is  experience,  to 
obtain  sugar  of  the  best  quality,  and  in  liberal 
quantities.  It  is  thought  by  some  that  ib  can 
never  be  profitably  raised  for  this  purpose  north 
of  New  York  :  time  alone  must  determine  this. 
If  there  were  never  a  pound  of  sugar  made  north 
of  that  state,  still  the  cane  would  be  of  immense 
importance  to  the  North,  on  account  of  its  other 
valuable  properties.  But  it  is  presumption  to 
say  that  sugar  cannot  be  made  from  it ;  for,  if 
such  syrup  can  be  produced  as  the  writer  will 
*  show  he  'has  obtained  from  this  plant,  then  it 
must  follow  that  sugar  can  also  be  produced.  I 
am  perfectly  satisfied  that  it  may  be  profitably 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  27 

grown  for  sugar  making.  In  regard  to  the  syrup, 
I  can  speak  with  great  confidence  from  observa- 
tion and  experience,  as  well  as  from  the  results 
that  have  attended  experiments  in  different  parts 
of  the  Union.  The  juice  yields  from  a  fifth  to  a 
fourth  of  its  bulk  in  good  syrup ;  and  such  syrup 
as  will  make  one  wish  at  once  for  the  griddle- 
cakes  on  which  to  test  it.  In  proof  of  its  qual- 
ity, we  give  the  following  from  the  Daily  Even- 
ing Traveller: 

"MASSACHUSETTS  Mo  LASSES. — We  are  indebted 
to  J.  F.  C.  Hyde,  of  Newton  Centre,  for  a 
specimen  of  molasses  which  he  has  manufactured 
from  the  Chinese  sugar-cane  grown  upon  his 
farm  in  that  town.  It  is  equal  to  the  best  syrup ; 
in  color  of  a  light  brown,  and  of  an  excellent 
flavor."' 

If  any  further  proof  is  necessary,  I  will  give 
the  words  of  an  eminent  merchant  of  Boston, 
who  tested  the  syrup  made  by  me,  —  a  gentleman 
who  is  fully  competent  to  judge,  it  having  been 
a  great  part  of  his  business  to  import  and  sell 
sugars  and  molasses.  He  said,  after  testing  it, 
that  it  had  "  a  peculiar  fruity,  cane  flavor,  and 
was  a  most  splendid  article,"  and  wanted  to 
know  where  I  obtained  it ;  and  that  it  was  hard 
for  him  to  believe  I  made  it  from  cane  grown  in 
3* 


28  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

Newton.  I  may  add  in  another  place  letters 
from  gentlemen  who  tested  the  article  made  by 
me,  and  shall  give  testimony  from  other  states 
in  regard  to  syrup  produced  there. 

A  great  deal  of  alcohol  can  be  made  from  the 
juice  of  this  plant,  whether  grown  North  or 
South ;  and  it  is  certainly  worthy  of  attention  on 
this  account,  as  alcohol  is  used  to  a  great  extent 
for  mechanical  and  other  important  and  proper 
purposes.  In  regard  to  cider,  or  the  champagne- 
like  drink  the  juice,  when  fermented,  yields,  and 
the  facility  with  which  it  can  be  furnished,  I 
shall  have  but  little  to  say  ;  for  I  very  much 
doubt  if  any  practical  good  would  follow  its 
introduction.  But  it  is  a  fact  that  it  does  yield 
such  a  drink. 

Of  the  juice  as  a  coloring  matter,  when  set 
with  alum,  I  can  only  say,  from  experience,  that 
I  did  not  fully  succeed,  the  dye  not  coming  up 
to  my  expectations  in  brilliancy  ;  and  though 
much  is  claimed  for  it  by  others  for  such  pur- 
poses, still  I  am  not  inclined  to  estimate  it  very 
highly. 

Of  the  waste,  or  "begass,"  which  has  been 
heretofore  referred  to,  I  cannot  speak  from 
experience  ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  prove 
all  that  is  claimed  for  it  as  a  substance  from 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  29 

which  good  paper  can  be  made.  It  seems  to 
possess  the  fibre  sufficient  for  such  a  purpose, 
and  will  probably  be  fully  tested  another  season. 
If  it  should  so  prove,  it  will  fill  an  important 
place  in  the  manufacture  of  this  article. 

And,  then,  the  seed  which  it  yields  so  profusely 
possesses  all  the  rich  qualities  of  rice,  or  other 
grain,  to  feed  out  to  cattle,  swine,  or  fowls.  It 
would  seem  to  be  almost  worth  growing  for  that 
alone,  as  it  yields  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  bush- 
els per  acre.  And,  lastly,  the  fodder,  which 
must  be  quite  valuable,  on  account  of  its  con- 
taining so  much  saccharine  matter.  It  may  be 
sown  for  fodder,  like  corn,  and  will  give  two 
crops  ;  for,  unless  the  season  is  quite  dry,  it  will 
quickly  shoot  up  again  after  being  cut  down. 
Or,  where  grown  for  sugar,  or  syrup,  the  leaves 
and  tops  of  the  stalks  that  are  too  green  to  be 
used  for  sugar-making  can  be  saved  for  fodder, 
and  thus  no  part  of  the  plant  be  lost.  If  desired, 
the  brush-top  may  be  used  for  making  brooms. 
Especially  would  I  recommend  its  trial  as  a 
green  crop  for  soiling,  or  for  curing,  for  winter 
feed  for  cattle ;  for  I  think  it  will  prove  far  supe- 
rior to  any  and  all  crops  that  are  now  grown  for* 
that  purpose. 

I  now  propose  to  give  the  particulars  of  my 


28  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

Newton.  I  may  add  in  another  place  letters 
from  gentlemen  who  tested  the  article  made  by 
me,  and  shall  give  testimony  from  other  states 
in  regard  to  syrup  produced  there. 

A  great  deal  of  alcohol  can  be  made  from  the 
juice  of  this  plant,  whether  grown  North  or 
South ;  and  it  is  certainly  worthy  of  attention  on 
this  account,  as  alcohol  is  used  to  a  great  extent 
for  mechanical  and  other  important  and  proper 
purposes.  In  regard  to  cider,  or  the  champagne- 
like  drink  the  juice,  when  fermented,  yields,  and 
the  facility  with  which  it  can  be  furnished,  I 
shall  have  but  little  to  say  ;  for  I  very  much 
doubt  if  any  practical  good  would  follow  its 
introduction.  But  it  is  a  fact  that  it  does  yield 
such  a  drink. 

Of  the  juice  as  a  coloring  matter,  when  set 
with  alum,  I  can  only  say,  from  experience,  that 
I  did  not  fully  succeed,  the  dye  not  coming  up 
to  niy  expectations  in  brilliancy ;  and  though 
much  is  claimed  for  it  by  others  for  such  pur- 
poses, still  I  am  not  inclined  to  estimate  it  very 
highly. 

Of  the  waste,  or  "begass,"  which  has  been 

.  heretofore    referred   to,    I   cannot    speak   from 

experience  ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  prove 

all  that  is  claimed  for  it  as  a  substance  from 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  29 

which  good  paper  can  be  made.  It  seems  to 
possess  the  fibre  sufficient  for  such  a  purpose, 
and  will  probably  be  fully  tested  another  season. 
If  it  should  so  prove,  it  will  fill  an  important 
place  in  the  manufacture  of  this  article. 

And,  then,  the  seed  which  it  yields  so  profusely 
possesses  all  the  rich  qualities  of  rice,  or  other 
grain,  to  feed  out  to  cattle,  swine,  or  fowls.  It 
would  seem  to  be  almost  worth  growing  for  that 
alone,  as  it  yields  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  bush- 
els per  acre.  And,  lastly,  the  fodder,  which 
must  be  quite  valuable,  on  account  of  its  con- 
taining so  much  saccharine  matter.  It  may  be 
sown  for  fodder,  like  corn,  and  will  give  two 
crops  ;  for,  unless  the  season  is  quite  dry,  it  will 
quickly  shoot  up  again  after  being  cut  down. 
Or,  where  grown  for  sugar,  or  syrup,  the  leaves 
and  tops  of  the  stalks  that  are  too  green  to  be 
used  for  sugar-making  can  be  saved  for  fodder, 
and  thus  no  part  of  the  plant  be  lost.  If  desired, 
the  brush-top  may  be  used  for  making  brooms. 
Especially  would  I  recommend  its  trial  as  a 
green  crop  for  soiling,  or  for  curing,  for  winter 
feed  for  cattle ;  for  I  think  it  will  prove  far  supe- 
rior to  any  and  all  crops  that  are  now  grown  for. 
that  purpose. 

I  now  propose  to  give  the  particulars  of  my 


30  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

own  experience  during  the  past  season  with  this 
truly  wonderful  plant.  I  received  the  seed  from 
the  Patent  Office,  through  my  friend,  Hon. 
Simon  Brown,  editor  of  the  New  England  Far- 
mer, and,  believing  it  to  be  a  humbug,  I  planted  it 
about  the  twentieth  of  May,  in  hills  two  feet 
apart,  the  rows  three  and  a  half,  manured  in 
hills  as  for  Indian  corn  and  no  more,  on  a  dry, 
gravelly  soil,  covering  the  seed  lightly,  —  for 
if  covered  too  deep  the  seed  decays.  In  a  few 
days  it  made  its  appearance,  resembling  corn,  or 
more  like  broom-corn,  or  barn-grass,  and  would 
be  mistaken  by  the  ignorant  for  that  grass,  and 
there  would  be  danger  of  destroying  it  when 
hoeing.  .After  it  had  been  up  about  ten  days,  I 
had  it  hoed,  and  treated  it  all  through  the  sum- 
mer as  I  treated  my  corn.  When  the  panicles 
made  their  appearance,  which  they  did  about  the 
first  of  September,  I  cut  them  off  of  all  that  which 
I  intended  for  sugar  or  syrup  making,  while  that 
which  was  intended  for  seed  was  left  until  just 
before  the  frosts  came,  when  it  was  cut  up  and 
spread  in  a  dry  place.  Most  of  the  seed  ripened, 
though  it  was  planted  late,  and  the  season  was 
cold  and  wet,  and  for  weeks  in  the  spring  and 
early  summer  the  plants  made  little  growth. 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  .     31 

The  cane  attained  the  height  of  ten  and  a  half 
feet. 

I  tried  my  first  experiment  with  the  cane  the 
last  of  September,  and  found  the  juice  was  thin 
and  less  rich  than  at  a  later  period.  After  ex- 
pressing the  juice,  which  is  of  a  light  green 
color  and  nearly  as  thin  as  milk,  I  put  it  imme- 
diately over  a  slow  fire,  without  putting  anything 
into  it  to  clarify  it.  As  it  gradually  warmed, 
I  removed  the  green  scum  that  rose  on  the  sur- 
face, until  it  boiled,  and  there  was  no  further 
need  of  skimming.  I  let  it  boil  until  four  fifths 
had  evaporated,  and  then  turned  it  off  to  cool. 
The  result  was  a  very  nice  syrup. 

In  the  second  experiment  I  took  the  cane 
about  the  tenth  of  October,  and  expressed  the 
juice  as  before,  putting  it  over  a  slow  fire  and 
gradually  raising  to  the  boiling  point,  this  time 
putting  in  a  small  quantity  of  lime-water,  both 
to  aid  in  purifying  and  to  neutralize  the  acid 
which  the  juice  contains.  This  time  the  juice 
appeared  and  proved  much  richer  than  before. 
The  same  process  of  skimming  was  carried  on, 
and  I  obtained  a  much  larger  proportion  of  syrup 
and  of  a  better  quality,  such  as  I  have  described 
on  a  former  page.  Subsequent  to  this  I  tried 
another  experiment  with  the  juice,  and  proceeded 


32  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

as  before,  except  I  boiled  it  more,  and  then  set 
it  away  in  a  strainer  to  drain  ;  and  it  grained 
tolerably  well,  though  the  sugar  was  of  rather 
dark  color.  I  tried  the  juice  for  coloring,  as  I 
have  before  said,  with  indifferent  success.  In 
addition  to  this,  I  used  the  seed-cane  stalks  and 
leaves  for  fodder  ;  cut  up  the  stalks  and  fed 
to  horses,  cows,  and  swine,  and  they  would  eat 
it  with  the  greatest  avidity,  even  like  shelled 
corn.  This  ended  my  experiments  with  the 
cane. 

I  now  propose  to  give  the  results  of  experi- 
ments that  have  been  tried  by  others  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  And  first  among  them 
stands  RICHARD  PETERS,  Esq.,  of  Atlanta,  Geor- 
gia, who  has  tested  it  more  fully  than  any  other 
man,  so  far  as  I  know,  in  the  United  States. 
He  says:  "I  considered  it  a  'humbug'  until 
my  children,  towards  fall,  made  the  discovery 
of  its  being  to  their  taste  equal  to  the  true 
sugar-cane.  This  year  I  planted  one  patch  April 
fifteenth,  another  May  eighteenth,  on  land  that 
would  produce,  during  a  '  seasonable  '  year,  forty 
bushels  of  corn  per  acre,  and  this  year  not  over 
twenty  bushels.  Seed  sown  carelessly  in  drills, 
three  feet  apart,  covered  with  a  one-horse 
plough  ;  intending  to  'chop  out'  to  a  stand  of  one 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  33 

stalk  six  inches  apart  in  the  row,  but  failed  to  get 
a  good  stand,  as  the  seed  came  up  badly,  from  the 
deep  and  irregular  covering.  Worked  out  same 
as  for  corn,  ploughing  twice  and  hoeing  once.  I 
determined  to  give  the  syrup-making  a  fair  trial ; 
consequently  ordered  a  very  complete  horse- 
power mill,  with  vertical  iron  rollers,  that  has 
worked  admirably,  crushing  out  juice  for  eight 
gallons  of  syrup  per  hour,  worked  by  two  mules, 
with  one  hand  to  put  in  the  cane  and  a  boy  to 
drive.  On  the  thirteenth  of  September,  find- 
ing the  seed  fully  ripe,  I  had  the  fodder  pulled 
and  the  seed-heads  cut.  Yield  of  fodder  per 
acre,  eleven  hundred  to  thirteen  hundred  pounds. 
Yield  of  seed  per  acre,  twenty-five  bushels  of 
thirty-six  pounds  to  the  bushel.  First  trial  of 
mill,  seventy  average  canes  gave  twenty  quarts 
of  juice  ;  six  hundred  and  six  average  canes, 
passed  %  once  through  the  rollers,  gave  thirty- 
eight  gallons  one  quart  of  juice  ;  passed  a  sec- 
ond time  through,  gave  two  gallons  of  juice. 
The  forty  gallons  one  quart  gave  eight  gallons 
of  thick  syrup.  I  carefully  measured  an  eighth 
of  an  acre  having  the  best  canes  and  the  best 
stand,  another  eighth  having  the  poorest  canes 
and  the  poorest  stand  ;  the  result  I  give  below, 
the  canes  having  passed  once  through  the  rollers : 


34  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE 

Best  eighth  of  an  acre. 

Yield  of  juice  from  3315  canes, 253  gal. 

Yield  of  syrup  from  253  gallons  of  juice,  .     .     .  58-|  " 

Rates  of  syrup  per  acre 468     " 

Poorest  eighth  of  an  acre. 

Yield  of  juice  from  2550  canes, 179  gal. 

Yield  of  syrup  from  179  gallons  of  juice,  .     .     .  43J  " 

Hates  per  acre  of  syrup, 346     " 

Weight  of  30  selected  canes, 49^  Ibs. 

"       of  juice  pressed  out, 25|   " 

"       of  crushed  cane, 23      " 

Loss  in  crushing, |    " 

Weight  of  crushed  cane  dried  in  sun,    ....  9  J    " 

"  The  following  tests  were  made  at  the  mill 
by  Dr.  Robert  Batty  : 

Specific  gravity  of  Chinese  Sugar-cane  juice,  .  1.085 

"  "  of  syrup, 1.335 

"  "  of  New  Orleans  syrup,  .  .  1.321 

Thermometer  applied  to  syrup, 77  deg. 

Thermometer  applied  to  juice, 70    " 

Saccharometer,     "  "  25J  " 

"  The  juice  should  be  placed  in  the  boilers  im- 
mediately on  being  pressed  out,  then  boil  slowly 
until  the  green  scum  ceases  to  rise  ;  then  stir  in 
a  tea-spoonful  of  air-slacked  lime  to  five  gallons 
of  juice  ;  continue  skimming  and  boiling  until 
the  syrup  thickens  and  hangs  down  in  flakes 
qn  the  rim  of  the  dipper.  I  have  made  the 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  35 

clearest  syrup  by  simply  boiling  and  skimming, 
without  lime  or  other  clarifiers.  The  lime  is 
requisite  to  neutralize  a  portion  of  the  acid  in 
the  juice :  the  true  proportion  must  be  deter- 
mined by  well-conducted  experiments..  The  ^cost 
of  making  the  syrup  in  upper  Georgia,  in  my 
opinion,  will  not  exceed  ten  to  fifteen  cents  per 
gallon.  This  I  shall  be  able  to  test,  another  sea- 
son, by  planting  and  working  up  fifty  acres  of 
the  cane.  I  am  satisfied  that  this  plant  will 
enable  every  farmer  and  planter  in  the  Southern 
States  to  make  at  home  all  the  syrup  required  for 
family  use  ;  and  I  believe  our  chemists  will  soon 
teach  us  how  to  convert  the  syrup  into  sugar  for 
export,  as  one  of  the  staples  of  our  favored 
clime.  Obtaining  such  unlocked  for  success  with 
the  Chinese  sugar-cane,  I  concluded  to  try  our 
common  corn.  From  a  'new  ground,'  planted 
three  feet  by  three,  one  stalk  to  a  hill,  a  week 
beyond  the  roasting  stage,  I  selected  thirty 
stalks. 

Weight  of  30  stalks, 35f  pounds. 

"       "   juice, 15£       " 

"       "    crushed  stalks,     ....  19|       " 
Loss  in  crushing,           .         .         .         .         .         2       " 

Yield  of  syrup, 1|    pints. 

The  syrup  was  of  a  peculiarly  disagreeable  taste, 
entirely  unfit  for  table  use." 


36 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 


The  mill  referred  to  in  the  above  communica- 
tion, and  of  which  I  give  an  engraving,  I  under- 
stand was  made  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  cost  for 
iron  work  about  forty-five  dollars  ;  .  and  is  said, 
by  a  committee  of  gentlemen  who  examined  it, 
to  be  "worthy  pf  commendation.",  ,  This  com- 
mittee further  say,  that  they  ' '  have  no  hesitation 
in  pronouncing  upon  the  value  of  the  Chinese 
sugar-cane  for  making  syrup."  Without  asking 
anybody  to  embark  largely  in  the  cultivation  of 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  37 

this  new  article,  I  think  it  well  worth  a  fair  trial, 
4 '  and  hope  that  none  will  be  ready  to  write  it 
a  humbug  until  they  shall  have  tested  its  merits." 
"  We  have  repeatedly  called  the  attention  of 
our  readers,"  says  the  Charleston  Mercury,  "to 
the  value  of  the  Chinese  sugar-cane,  and  are 
therefore  greatly  rejoiced  to  find  that  the  article 
has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  so  scientific  and 
careful  an  experimenter  as  Ex-Gov.  Hammond, 
who  will  be  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the 
highest  authorities  in  Southern  agriculture.  We 
copy  below  a  carefully  considered  report  of  his 
experiments  with  the  Chinese  sugar-cane,  pre- 
pared for  an  agricultural  society  in  his  own 
neighborhood,  and  furnished  for  publication  to 
the  Barnwell  Sentinel.  It  will  commend  itself 
to  the  attention  of  the  planters  of  the  state. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  sugar-millet  is 
destined  to  prove  an  important  addition  to  the 
resources  and  comforts  of  the  plantation." 

"  Report  of  an  experiment  in  making  syrup  from  the  Chinese 
sugar-cane,  or  sugar-millet,  made  to  the  Beech  Island  Far- 
mer's Club,  August  2d,  1856.  By  Hon.  J.  H.  Hammond, 
of  South  Carolina. 

"One  of  our  members,  Mr.  Redmond,  of  the 
Southern  Cultivator,  distributed  among  us,  last 


38  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

winter,  some  seeds  of  what  is  commonly  called 
sugar-millet.  He  very  kindly  gave  me  enough  to 
plant  half  an  acre,  —  about  a  pint.  I  prepared  a 
plot  of  ground  on  a  northern  slope  of  old,  stiff, 
worn-out  land,  in  such  a  manner  and  with  so  much 
manure  as  would  probably  have  made  it  yield, 
with  average  seasons,  about  twenty  bushels  of 
corn  per  acre.  On  the  22d  of  March  I  planted 
the  millet-seed  in  three-feet  drills,  dropping 
every  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  some  six  or 
eight  seeds.  It  was  ploughed  and  hoed  often 
enough  to  keep  the  grass  down,  and  about  the 
first  of  July  began  to  head.  The  heat  had  then 
been  unusually  intense  for  two  weeks,  and  has 
continued  so  up  to  the  present  time ;  and  latterly 
the  drouth"  has  been  very  destructive.  I  do  not 
think  this  half-acre  would  have  yielded  five 
bushels  had  it  been  planted  in  corn.  Having 
intended,  however,  to  ascertain  whether  the 
millet  would  make  syrup,  I  had  a  rude  mill  put 
up,  with  two  beech  rollers.  Finding  by  the  22d 
of  July  the  most  advanced  heads  had  passed  the 
milk  stage,  I  had  1750  canes  cut,  that  I  sup- 
posed were  a  fair  sample  of  the  patch.  The 
first  three  or  four  hundred  were  passed  through 
the  mill  twice,  the  remainder  four  times ;  and 
the  yield  was  194  quarts  of  juice.  But  ten 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  39 

canes  that  I  selected  and  passed  seven  times 
through  the  mill  yielded  three  quarts.  The 
juice  was  received  into  common  tubs,  and  tested 
by  a  thermometer,  and  a  saccharometer  with  a 
scale  of  40  degrees.  The  thermometer  stood  in 
every  instance  at  78  degrees.  The  saccharometer 
varied  from  21£  degrees  to  234  degrees.  At  the 
latter  point  the  juice  would  float  a  fresh  egg.  I 
boiled  it  in  a  deep  pot,  and  after  six  to  seven 
hours'  boiling  obtained  32  quarts  of  tolerable 
syrup.  The  next  day  I  selected  ten  canes,  the 
heads  of  which  were  fully  matured ;  ten  more,  in 
full  milk ;  ten  more,  the  heads  of  which  were 
just  fully  developed  and  the  top  seed  beginning 
to  turn  black ;  and  again  ten  comprising  all  these 
stages,  but  from  which  I  did  not  strip  the  leaves. 
They  were  all  passed  through  the  tnill  seven 
times,  and  yielded  nearly  the  same  quantity  of 
juice  —  about  three  quarts  for  every  ten  canes. 
The  juice — tested  by  the  saccharometer — showed 
that  the  youngest  cane  had  rather  the  most,  and 
the  oldest  rather  the  least  saccharine  matter. 
The  whole  together,  with  that  of  a  few  other 
good  canes,  exhibited  at  80  degrees  of  the  ther- 
mometer 24^  degrees  of  the  saccharometer.  From 
forty-two  pints  of  the  juice  I  obtained,  after 
four  hours'  boiling,  nine  pints  of  rather  better 
4* 


40  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

syrup  than  that  made  the  day  before.  In  these 
boilings  I  mixed  with  the  cold  juice  a  tea-spoonful 
of  lime-water,  of  the  consistency  of  cream,  for 
every  five  gallons.  These  selected  canes  grew 
on  the  best  spot  on  the  patch,  and  where  corn 
probably  might  have  been  produced  the  present 
season  at  the  rate  of  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre. 
They  were  one  inch  in  diameter  at  the  largest 
end,  and  seven  and  a  half  feet  long  after  cutting 
off  the  head  and  the  foot  of  the  stem.  After 
this  I  cut  down  all  the  inferior  cane,  and  cured 
it  for  forage. 

"  On  the  28th  of  July,  two  of  the  members  of 
the  club,  being  at  my  house,  remained  to  see  the 
result  of  pressing  and  boiling  four  hundred  canes 
I  had  cut  and  stripped.  Each  of  us  selected  ten 
canes',  ancf  put  them  through  the  press  eight 
times — the  result  being  as  before,  about  three 
quarts  for  every  ten  canes.  But  even  after  the 
pressure  juice  could  be  wrung  from  the  canes  by 
the  hand,  and  we  agreed  that  at  least  one  fourth 
of  it,  and  that  the  best,  remained  in  the  cane — 
so  inefficient  was  my  mill.  The  rest  of  the  cane 
I  ordered  should  be  pressed  six  times ;  but  we 
did  not  ourselves  remain  to  see  it  done,  nor  did 
we  count  the  400  canes.  The  yield  of  the 
whole,  however,  was  thirty-seven  and  one  half 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  41 

quarts,  with  the  thermometer  at  85  degrees  in 
the  juice  :  the  saccharometer  stood  241  degrees. 
We  boiled  the  juice  until  it  run  together  on  the 
riin  of  the  ladle,  and  hung  in  a  transparent  sheet 
half  an  inch  below  it  before  falling,  and  this  in 
two  and  a  half  hours.  The  result  was  six  quarts 
of  choice  syrup.  The  next  day  I  repeated  the 
experiment  on  a  larger  scale,  with  equal  success ; 
and  I  have  brought  to  the  club  enough  of  the 
syrup  to  enable  every  member  to  try  it,  and  judge 
of  its  quality.  All  who  have  tested  it  agree 
that  it  is  equal  to  the  best  that  we  get  from  New 
Orleans.  In  these  last  boilings  I  put  a  table- 
spoonful  of  lime-water,  prepared  as  before,  to 
every  ten  gallons.  The  whole  process  of  clarify- 
ing and  boiling  was  earned  through  in  the  same 
pot,  and  that  very  unsuitable  from  its  depth.  I 
measured  the  grain  from  a  number  of  heads,  and 
the  result  was  an  average  of  a  gill  from  each.  I 
weighed  a  half  a  peck  of  maturer  grain  after 
several  days'  exposure  to  the  sun  ;  —  it  weighed 
four  and  three  fourths  pounds,  equal  to  thirty- 
eight  pounds  per  bushel.  I  weighed  twenty  of 
the  best  cane  cut  for  forage,  after  it  was  cured 
sufficiently  to  house.  They  weighed  twenty-four 
pounds,  equal  to  thirty  thousand  pounds  for 
twenty-five  thousand  canes ;  which  I  think  might 


42  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR- CANE. 

be  grown  on  land  that  would  make  twenty-five 
bushels  of  corn,  with  average  seasons.  I  have 
tried  horses,  cattle,  and  hogs,  and  find  they  eat 
the  cane,  its  leaves  and  seeds,  greedily,  and 
fowls  and  pigeons  the  last.  I  think,  however, 
that,  when  allowed  to  mature,  the  cane  should  be 
cut  up  fine  for  animals,  as  the  outer  coat  is  hard. 
I  did  not  attempt  to  make  sugar,  not  having  pre- 
pared for  that ;  there  can,  however,  be  110  doubt 
that  sugar  can  be  made  from  such  syrup  as  this. 
And  as  they  make  more  syrup  in .  the  West 
Indies  per  acre  than  they  do  in  Louisiana,  only 
because  the  cane  matures  better,  it  is  not  unrea- 
sonable to  infer  that  the  millet,  which  matures 
here  perfectly,  and  would  even  make  two  crops  in 
one  year,  will  yield  more  and  better  sugar  than 
the  Louisiana  cane. 

"  Beginning  to  cut  cane  as  soon  as  the  head  is 
fully  developed,  it  may  be  cut  for  a  month  before 
it  will  all  ripen, —  how  long  after  that,  I  do  not 
know.  As  succession  of  crops  might  be  easily 
arranged  so  as  to  insure  cutting  and  boiling,  from 
the  first  of  July, —  probably  earlier, —  then  until 
frost,  I  have  housed  some  stalks  immediately 
from  the  field,  to  ascertain,  hereafter,  whether 
thus  treated  it  will  yield  juice  and  make  syrup 
next  winter.  A  good  sugar-mill,  with  three 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  43 

wooden  rollers,  may  be  erected  for  less  than 
twenty-five  dollars,  and  a  sugar-boiler  that  will 
make  thirty  gallons  of  syrup  a  day  may  be  pur- 
chased in  Augusta  for  less  than  sixty  dollars. 
This  millet  will,  of  course,  mix  with  any  other 
variety  of  the  millet  family  planted  near  it.  I 
have  now  stated  the  chief  particulars  of  my 
experiment.  A  single  experiment  —  especially 
one  in  agriculture  —  is  rarely  conclusive.  I  may 
err  myself,  and  cause  others  to  err,  were  I  to  ex- 
press with  any  emphasis  the  opinion  I  entertain 
of  the  value  of  this  recently-introduced  plant." 

We  learn  by  this  experiment,  though  tried  at 
the  South,  much  that  is  of  importance  to  those 
who  are  entering  upon  the  cultivation  of  this 
sugar-cane. 

Among  those  things,  we  propose  to  notice 
briefly,  first,  the  quantity  of  seed  used  to  "  half 
an  acre, —  about  a  pint."  This,  according  to  my 
experience,  is  a  small  pattern,  though  I  have  no 
doubt,  if  it  were  evenly  distributed  with  a  seed- 
sower,  it  might  answer.  But  it  is  always  better 
to  plant  more  than  you  want,  and  thin  out,  than 
to  plant  so  thin  that  you  will  fail  to  get  a  crop. 
We  learn  further  that  it  was  planted  in  drills, 
one  seed  every  three  inches.  I  believe  this  to  be 
the  best  way  to  raise  it  —  in  drills  —  either  for 


44  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

syrup-making  or  for  fodder,  though  care  should 
be  taken  to  thin  out,  if  too  thick,  so  that  the  cane 
would  be  stout  enough  to  resist  the  storms  that 
sometimes  lay  the  stover  corn  prostrate.  We  also 
find  that  that  which  was  planted  the  22d  of 
March  was  fit  for  cutting  on  the  22d  of  July, 
being  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  days, 
which  accords  with  my  experience  with  it  during 
the  last  season,  and  which  shows  most  conclu- 
sively that  it  can  be  grown  in  the  New  England 
States  ;  for  it  may  be  put  into  the  ground  ordi- 
narily as  early  as  the  first  to  the  tenth  of  May, 
and  consequently  would  be  suitable  for  cutting 
from  the  first  to  the  tenth  of  September.  This 
would  give  us  the  whole  month  of  September, 
and,  in  some  seasons,  considerable  of  October, 
in  which  to  manufacture  our  sugar,  or  syrup. 
Again,  we  learn  from  the  account  that  it  with- 
stood a  most  severe  drouth,  which  it  is  said  would 
have  proved  very  severe  to  corn,  and  probably 
materially  lessened  the  crop,  and  yet  the  cane 
did  not  suffer  much.  We  are  also  shown  the 
manner  in  which  the  juice  was  clarified,  which 
we  shall  do  well  to  notice,  for  I  believe  there  is 
no  better  clarifier  than  lime-water,  though  there 
needs  to  be  some  careful  experiments  to  deter- 
mine the  quantity  that  shall  be  used.  For,  where 


• 
THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  45 

I  used  the  lime  my  syrup  was  very  much,  .better 
than  that  made  without  the  lime.  We  are 
further  told,  in  regard  to  the  seed  or  grain,  the 
amount  from  each  head  being  a  gill,  and  weigh- 
ing at  the  rate  of  thirty-eight  pounds  to  the 
bushel  ;  which  goes  to  confirm  the  position  I  took 
in  a  former  part  of  this  work,  that  it  would 
almost,  if  not  quite,  pay  for  raising  for  the  grain. 
I  also  agree  with  the  writer  in  saying  that  the 
stalks  should  be  eut  up  with  a  hay  or  stalk  cut- 
ter, or  in  some  other  way  ;  for  the  stalk  is  hard, 
and  cannot  be  so  readily  eaten  as  when  cut. 
Again,  it  is  said  that  a  sugar-mill,  with  wooden 
rollers,  can  be  procured  "  for  less  than  twenty- 
five  dollars,  and  a  sugar-boiler  that  will  make 
thirty  gallons  of  syrup  per  day  for  sixty  dollars." 
Now,  it  is  doubtful  if  such  a  wooden  mill  will  be 
a  proper  one,  such  as  it  would  be  economy  to  use, 
even  though  it  should  seem  to  answer  the  purpose 
tolerably  well.  Sugar-mills,  such  as  are  manu- 
factured to  send  to  the  "West  Indies,  are  made  at 
South  Boston,  and  all  complete  cost  from  three  to 
five  hundred  dollars  ;  though,  if  this  cane  should 
succeed,  I  am  in  hopes  we  shall  have  cheap, 
portable  mills,  one  of  which  might  answer  for  a 
small  neighborhood.  Boilers  can  probably  be 
obtained  cheaper  here  than  at  the  South,  though 


• 

46  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

it  is  not  necessary  to  have  these  large  boilers 
except  when  it  is  intended  to  make  large  quan- 
tities of  syrup. 

We  will  give  further  results  of  experiments 
made  at  the  South,  and  quote  from  the  Southern 
Cultivator,  for  October,  1856:  "In  the  winter 
of  1844-5,  the  junior  editor  of  this  journal 
obtained  from  Boston  a  few  ounces  of  seed  of 
this  plant,  —  Chinese  sugar-cane,  — then  newly 
imported  from  France.  It  came  very  highly 
recommended  as  a  sugar-producing  and  forage 
plant ;  but,  having  a  vivid  recollection  of  many 
previous  disappointments  with  new-fangled  no- 
tions, we  concluded  to  test  it  cautiously  and 
moderately.  In  order,  however,  to  give  it  a  fair 
chance,  we  distributed  small  parcels,  per  mail,  to 
friends  in  various  portions  of  Georgia  and  the 
adjoining  states,  and  planted  for  ourselves  only 
seven  or  eight  hills,  in  a  pcor  spot  in  our  garden. 
At  first  it  came  up  like  grass,  or  Egyptian 
millet,  and  grew  off  slowly  and  weakly  ;  .but  in 
a  few  weeks  it  began  to  shoot  upward,  and  in 
less  than  three  months  attained  the  height  of 
eight  or  ten  feet,  with  large  and  well-filled  heads 
of  seeds,  somewhat  resembling  broom-corn,  but 
covered  with  a  black  husk,  or  chaff.  Passing  by 
it  one  day,  when  the  seeds  were  nearly  or  quite 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  47 

ripe,  we  concluded  to  test  the  sweetness  of  the 
stalk  ;  so,  cutting  a  moderate-sized  cane,  and 
peeling  its  hard  outside  coat,  we  found  a  solid 
pith  of  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  in  diame- 
ter, and  crisp,  brittle,  and  an  exceedingly  sweet 
and  pleasant  flavor,  wholly  and  entirely  unlike 
anything  of  the  corn-stalk  family  that  we  had 
ever  tasted.  It  was,  in  fact,  ready-made  candy; 
and  as  soon  as  the  younger  members  of  the 
family  and  the  negroes  got  the  taste  of  it,  we 
were  obliged  to  interdict  its  further  use,  in  order 
to  save  seed.  When  the  latter  were  fully  ripe, 
we  cut  off  the  heads  and  saved  them  carefully, 
noticing,  with  some  surprise,  that  the  leaves  or 
blades  of  fodder  were  still  as  fresh,  green,  and 
succulent,  as  ever.  The  stalks  were  then  cut  off 
near  the  ground,  and  fed,  leaves  and  all,  to  our 
horses,  mules,  and  milch  cows,  all  of  which  eat 
of  it  with  the  greatest  apparent  relish  and 
avidity.  Considering  that  crop  disposed  of  for 
the  season,  we  paid  no  more  attention  to  the 
stubble,  or  stumps,  until  we  happened  to  notice 
that,  millet-like,  they  were  shooting  out  anew, 
and  pushing  on  for  a  second  growth.  This 
growth  we  watched  with  some  interest,  until  the 
first  frost  checked  it ;  at  which  time,  the  stalks 
were  six  feet  high,  full  of  broad  and  juicy  leaves, 
5 


48  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

and  with  the  second  crop  of  seed  just  making  its 
appearance  above  the  'boot.'  Fully  satisfied 
by  this  time  that  it  was  valuable,  at  least  for  the 
production  of  soiling,  forage,  and  dried  fodder, 
we  next  turned  our  attention  to  its  saccharine 
properties,  and  fortunately  induced  our  friend, 
Dr.  Robert  Battey,  of  Rome,  Georgia,  who  was 
at  that  time  pursuing  the  study  of  experimental 
chemistry,  in  the  well-known  laboratory  of  Prof. 
Booth,  of  Philadelphia,  to  test  it.  As  the  result 
of  his  experiment,  Dr.  Battey  sent  us  three 
small  phials,  one  containing  a  fine  syrup,  one  a 
sample  of  crude  brown  sugar,  and  the  other  a 
very  good  sample  of  crystallized  sugar.  This  we 
believe  to  be  the  first  crystallized  sugar  made  in 
the  United  States  from  the  juice  of  the  sorgho- 
sucre  ;  and  as  Dr.  Battey 's  opinion  of  its  value 
as  a  plant  fully  agreed  with  the  reports  of  the 
French  savans  who  had  investigated  its  proper- 
ties, and  with  our  own  convictions,  we  this  year 
disseminated  it  more  widely,  and  planted  nearly 
two  acres,  for  the  express  purpose  of  raising  the 
seed,  and  testing  the  ability  of  the  plant  to  bear 
repeated  cuttings,  like  Egyptian  and  other  varie- 
ties of  millet.  It  was  planted  very  late,  on  poor 
soil,  and  has  received  but  imperfect  culture ;  and 
yet,  at  the  present  time  (August  25)  a  portion 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  49 

of  it  has  been  cut  three  times,  and  is  growing  up 
finely,  while  the  remainder  has  ripened  its  seed, 
and  will  yield  a  full  crop  of  excellent  fodder 
after  the  present  stalks  are  cut  off  at  the  ground 
and  crushed  for  syrup,  or  fed  out  to  our  stock. 

"  So  much  for  its  introduction  into  this  sec- 
tion, and  its  history  among  us  thus  far.  It  is 
our  deliberate  opinion,  that  for  'soiling,' — cut- 
ting green,  repeatedly,  —  for  the  production  of 
syrup,  sugar,  cider  or  wine,  alcohol,  fodder,  and 
grain,  at  the  same  time,  it  will  be  found  inval- 
uable to  the  South,  and  that  no  plant  of  recent 
introduction  among  us  can  at  all  compare  with 
it."  It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  the  cane 
will  produce,  as  I  supposed,  more  than  one  crop 
of  fodder  from  the  same  roots,  even  in  the  North- 
ern States,  and  three  or  four  in  the  Southern.  In 
this,  as  in  other  respects,  it  may  prove  more 
valuable  to  the  South  than  the  North.  But,  after 
giving  some  more  testimony  from  the  South,  we 
shall  give  some  from  the  more  Northern  States. 

Dr.  Battey,  to  whom  reference  has  been 
made  on  a  former  page,  writes  as  follows  to  the 
Southern  Cultivator,  in  reply  to  inquiries  that 
had  been  made  of  him  :  "I  cheerfully  com- 
ply with  your  request  for  information  on  the  sub- 
ject of  my  observations  and  experiments  on  the 


50  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

Chinese  sugar-cane,  as  a  syrup-producing  plant. 
My  attention  was  first  called  to  the  subject  by 
the  seed  which  you  were  kind  enough  to  send 
me  in  the  spring  of  1855.  I  planted  them,  and 
raised,  say,  fifteen  to  twenty  canes,  that  year, 
from  which  I  extracted  a  small  quantity  of  juice 
for  analysis.  This  juice,  as  you  are  already 
aware,  yielded,  during  the  winter,  sugar  and 
syrup,  samples  of  which  I  sent  to  you  for  inspec- 
tion. Impressed  as  I  was  with  the  probable 
importance  of  this  plant  to  the  agriculturists 
of  the  South,  I  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  speak 
hastily  of  its  merits,  waiting,  rather,  until  a  repe- 
tition of  these  experiments  upon  a  larger  scale 
should  fully  establish  the  opinions  -I  had  enter- 
tained of  it. 

"  The  present  year  I  have  cultivated  a  few 
more  canes  for  my  experiments,  and  upon  the 
farm  of  Richard  Peters,  Esq.,  Gordon  county, 
Georgia,  I  have  witnessed  the  growth  of  the 
cane  by  the  acre,  and  the  production  of  the 
syrup  by  barrels.  I  have,  in  the  mean  time,  read 
attentively  the  opinions  of  Gov.  Hammond,  of 
South  Carolina,  and  others  in  different  sections 
of  the  Union,  who  have  grown  the  plant  and 
experimented  with  it,  as  also  the  valuable  paper 
of  M.  Vilmorin,  of  France,  who  has  given  this 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  51 

subject  much  study  and  investigation  ;  so  that, 
calmlv  viewing  all  the  facts  which  I  have  been 

•/ 

able  to  collect,  I  no  longer  entertain  a  doubt 
that  this  plant  is  well  worthy  of  the  attention 
and  study  of  the  farmers  and  planters  of  the 
South.  If  the  opinions  I  shall  express  should 
seem  to  some  too  wild  and  extravagant,  I  trust 
they  will  receive  them  as  the  honest  and  candid 
sentiments  of  one  who  has  carefully  examined 
the  subject,  and  be  led  to  investigate  and  exper- 
iment for  themselves.  Should  I  thus  be  enabled 
to  arouse  the  attention  of  Southern  farmers  to 
the  importance  of  this  plant,  my  object  will 
have  been  accomplished,  and  my  labor  well 
expended. 

"  The  Chinese  sugar-cane  seems  to  adapt  itself 
to  all  the  vicissitudes  of  our  varied  climate  and 
soil,  and  with  a  facility  unsurpassed  by  corn  or 
wheat.  In  Cherokee,  Ga.,  it  flourishes  in  a  high 
degree  of  perfection  upon  soil  high  and  low,  rich 
and  comparatively  poor,  producing  heavy  crops 
of  stalk,  leaf,  and  seed.  The  experiments  of 
Mr.  Peters  (which  are  already  published  in  many 
of  our  agricultural  papers)  present  an  example 
of  most  successful  culture.  I  have  found  it  to 
grow  with  me,  in  all  respects,  as  vigorously  as 
corn,  with  precisely  similar  treatment.  In  Al- 
5* 


52  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

leghany  County,  Md.,  a  correspondent  writes  for 
the  May  number  of  the  American  Farmer  : 

"  '  I  think  it  well  adapted  to  our  mountainous 
country,  and  promises  to  be  more  valuable  than 
any  other  article  we  can  grow  for  provender.  I 
believe  it  will  produce  six  or  eight  tons  of  dried 
provender  to  the  acre.'  The  present  writer  has 
met  many  intelligent  and  enterprising  farmers  of 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia,  New  Jersey, 
and  New  York,  in  attendance  at  the  late  National 
Fair  at  Philadelphia.  Many  of  them  had  wit- 
nessed its  growth  in  their  respective  states  with 
entire  success.  One  gentleman  of  New  Jersey 
had  grown  a  half-acre  of  the  cane  this  season. 
It  has  been  successfully  grown  in  Illinois,  also  ; 
and  one  gallon  of  the  juice  is  said  to  have  yielded, 
by  boiling,  a  quart  of  syrup  of  good  quality. 
There  is  every  reason  to  conclude  that  the  cane 
may  be  easily  and  successfully  grown  in  all  parts 
of  our  country. 

"  CULTURE.  —  While  the  seed  remains  in  the 
hands  of  the  few,  and  commands  a  price  too 
high  to  permit  a  waste,  it  should  be  planted  for 
one  season  with  good  distance,  that  the  seed  crop 
as  well  as  the  cane  may  attain  their  highest  state 
of  development.  I  would  recommend  that  the 
rows  should  be  three,  or  even  four  feet  apart, 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  53 

and  the  distance  of,  say,  two  feet  given  in  the 
row,  dropping  one  or  two  seed  in  a  place.  Let 
the  ground  be  well  cultivated,  as  for  corn,  and 
the  shoots  or  suckers  which  spring  up  from  the 
root  be  all  permitted  to  grow.  A  small  portion 
of  the  crop  should  be  reserved  for  seed,  and  per- 
mitted to  stand  until  fully  matured  and  dry.  It 
would  be  well  to  limit  the  canes  in  the  seed  patch 
to  one.  By  all  means  permit  no  broom-corn, 
Dourah-corn,  or  other  plants  of  the  same  family, 
to  grow  mar  your  cane.  It  readily  intermixes 
with  these  varieties,  and  effectually  ruins  your 
seed  for  the  production  of  syrup.  For  the  same 
reason,  great  care  should  be  observed  in  procur- 
ing reliable  seed,  as  well  as  in  keeping  them  so. 
"After  the  first  season,  when  a  full  supply  of 
seed  shall  have  been  secured,  a  better-paying 
syrup  crop  may  be  grown  by  closer  planting. 
The  space  between  the  rows  may  well  be  nar- 
rowed down  to  three  feet,  and  the  seed  put  in, 
say,  two  or  three  every  six  inches ;  when  well  up, 
the  stoutest  and  healthiest  plants  should  alone  be 
allowed  to  stand.  The  cane,  when  very  young, 
presents  so  much  the  appearance  of  grass,  that 
an  advantage  may  perhaps  be  gained  by  drop- 
ping some  other  seed  with  the  cane,  that  the 
latter  may  be  more  readily  distinguished. 


54  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

of  course,  should  be  drawn  out  with  the  super- 
fluous cane-plants.  When  of  sufficient  size,  the 
plants  should  be  suckered  down  to  one  cane  for 
each  root.  In  other  respects,  the  successful 
grower  of  corn  will  not  be  at  a  loss  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  this  plant.  I  have  found  a  suitable 
time  for  planting  to  be  immediately  after  the 
corn  crop,  although  excellent  results  have  been 
obtained  by  planting  as  late  as  the  15th  of  May, 
in  Cherokee,  Ga.  It  will  doubtless  be  desirable 
to  make  several  successive  plantings,  that  they 
may  mature  gradually,  and  so  give  more  time 
for  harvesting  the  crop.  The  land,  in  my  opin- 
ion, should  be  prejfared  in  all  respects  as  for 
corn. 

"HARVESTING.  —  When  the  stalk  shall  have 
attained  its  full  size,  and  the  seed  have  passed 
from  the  dough  stage  to  a  harder  texture,  the 
cane  may  be  considered  sufficiently  mature  ;  or, 
if  the  crop  be  large,  and  a  deficiency  of  hands  be 
apprehended,  the  cane  may  be  cut  earlier,  and 
the  cuttings  continued  from  time  to  time,  as 
needed  for  the  press.  The  fodder  should  be 
pulled  as  for  corn  ;  another  set  of  hands  cutting 
off  one  half  to  two  feet  of  the  top  with  the  seed, 
while  others  cut  the  cane  at  the  ground  and 
throw  it  into  piles,  from  whence  it  is  handed  to 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  55 

the  press.  Prior  to  the  harvesting,  -  a  set  of 
proper  rollers  and  kettles  should  be  provided, 
and  well  set  up  ready  for  service. 

"  The  mill  made  use  of  by  Mr.  Peters,  and 
which  was  gotten  up  under  his  direction  for  the 
purpose,  is,  in  my  opinion,  of  very  unexceptionable 
quality  for  a  small  apparatus,  and  works  admira- 
bly. It  is  of  a  suitable  size  for  a  small  crop,  and 
no  farmer  should  undertake  to  supply  its  place  by 
wooden  rollers  for  a  crop  of  even  two  acres.  The 
loss  of  juice  will  more  than  counterbalance  the 
difference  in  expense.  It  is  worked  by  two 
mules.  Three  kettles,  of  from  sixty  to  one  hun- 
dred gallons'  capacity,  will  be  required  to  keep 
pace  fully  with  the  mill ;  it  is  desirable  that 
these  should  be  broad  and  shallow,  that  they 
may  present  a  large  evaporating  surface,  and 
substantially  set  in  brick  for  security  and  con- 
venience. They  should  not  be  distant  from  the 
press,  and  if  upon  ground  lower  than  the  latter, 
an  advantage  is  gained  in  running  the  expressed 
juice  directly  into  them,  and  thus  saving  the  labor 
of  transfer. 

"  PRESSING.  —  The  canes,  located  conveniently 
at  hand,  are  one  by  one  doubled  in  the  middle 
and  forced  between  the  rollers,  which  are  kept 
in  as  close  proximity  as  the  strength  of  the  mill 


56  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

and  the  power  of  the  mules  will  warrant.  An 
active  hand  will  feed  the  mill  easily,  if  the  canes 
be  placed  within  his  reach.  A  boy  is  required 
to  drive,  and  if  the  mill  be  well  constructed  to 
throw  off  the  begass  from  behind,  nothing  more 
is  required  except  an  occasional  removal  of  the 
latter  by  a  pitchfork,  to  keep  it  out  of  the  way 
of  the  mules. 

"  BOILING  DOWN. — One  of  the  first  things  done, 
in  commencing  operations,  should  be  to  start  the 
fire  under  the  kettles,  that  they  may  be  well 
warmed  by  the  time  the  juice  is  ready  for  them. 
The  fires  should  be  so  arranged  that  they  may 
be  under  good  control,  to  be  forced  or  withdrawn 
as  occasion  may  require.  When  the  juice  is 
placed  in  the  boiler,  the  fire  should  be  gradually 
increased  to  a  simmering  heat,  "not  to  active 
boiling,"  and  maintained  at  this  temperature 
until  a  thick  green  scum  rises  to  the  surface 
and  forms  into  puffs,  seeming  ready  to  crack. 
This  scum,  when  fully  formed,  should  be  removed 
clean  from  the  surface.  The  heat  may  now  be 
raised  to  boiling,  and  kept  in  an  active  state  of 
ebullition,  until  the  bulk  is  reduced  one  half. 
The  fire  may  now  be  removed  from  one  kettle, 
and  its  contents  be  transferred  to  the  other,  when 
the  heat  must  be  gradually  moderated  as  the 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  57 

syrup  becomes  more  concentrated,  to  avoid  the 
danger  of  scorching,  which  injures  the  color  and 
flavor.  Should  more  dirty-green  scum  rise  to 
the  surface  after  the  first  skimming,  it  should 
likewise  be  removed. 

"  In  regard  to  the  precise  degree  of  concentra- 
tion to  which  the  syrup  should  be  brought,  it  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  lay  down  any  precise  and 
simple  rule,  which  shall  meet  every  case.  The 
plan  for  determining  it  in  use  on  the  sugar  plan- 
tations, and  which  was  adopted  by  Gov.  Ham- 
mond and  Mr.  Peters,  is  based  upon  the  judg- 
ment of  the  eye  in  respect  to  the  consistence  of 
the  syrup  when  poured  from  the  ladle  and  cooled 
as  it  drops  from  its  edge.  This  test  is  evidently 
very  defective,  since  the  temperature  of  the  at- 
mosphere regulates  the  consistence  which  the 
syrup  must  assume  on  cooling  down ;  so  that  a 
syrup  boiled  on  a  cold  day  will  necessarily  be 
thin  and  watery  as  the  weather  moderates,  and 
a  syrup  finished  at  night  will  differ  materially 
from  that  of  the  noonday.  Although  a  good  ap- 
proximation, it  is  not  exact  enough  for  the  tyro 
to  secure  a  desirable  uniformity  in  the  consist- 
ence and  value  of  the  product,  or  to  obviate  the 
danger  of  fermentation  and  loss.  To  remedy 
this  uncertainty,  and  secure  a  uniform  result  at 


58  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

all  times,  I  have  constructed  a  simple  instrument, 
which  determines  readily  and  with  certainty  the 
precise  moment  when  the  syrup  should  be  re- 
moved from  the  fire  and  transferred  to  the  bar- 
rels. For  the  convenience  of  those  who  may 
desire  this  aid,  I  shall  prepare  a  number  of  them 
during  the  season,  which  may  be  furnished  by 
mail.  With  such  a  guide  to  the  uninitiated, 
there  are  certainly  few  more  simple  operations 
upon  the  farm  than  the  manufacture  of  syrup 
from  this  cane. 

"It  is  a  prevalent  opinion  that  lime  should 
always  be  added  to  the  juice  as  soon  as  it  is 
pressed  out,  and  the  idea  has  been  advanced 
that  it  could  not  be  clarified  without  lime.  This 
is  undoubtedly  a  mistake  ;  the  juice  alone,  un- 
der my  hands,  clarifies  itself  more  readily  with- 
out lime  than  with  it.  The  latter  answers  no 
useful  purpose,  as  far  as  the  syrup  is  concerned, 
save  to  neutralize  the  free  acid  (phosphoric) 
which  exists  naturally  in  the  cane.  Lime  dark- 
ens the  color,  and,  to  my  taste,  detracts  from 
the  peculiar  grateful  flavor  of  the  syrup.  Many 
would,  perhaps,  object  to  the  slight  acidity  ;  to 
such  I  would  say,  use  the  lime,  but  use  it  spar- 
ingly. To  prepare  it  for  use,  take  a  half-peck 
of  lime,  slake  it  in  a  bucket  of  water  gradually 


THE   CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  59 

added,  stir  up  well,  and  strain  the  milk  through 
a  cloth  ;  let  it  settle  for  half  a  day,  pour  off  the 
water,  and  dry  the  powder.  Of  the  latter  you 
may  use  from  a  half  a  tea-spoonful  to  two  tea- 
spoonsful  for  every  five  gallons  of  juice,  after  the 
scum  has  been  removed. 

"  The  scum  is  used  in  the  West  Indies  for  the 
manufacture  of  rum,  the  details  of  which  are 
entirely  too  elaborate  to  be  introduced  here.  It 
may  be  also  advantageously  disposed  of  as  food 
for  hogs.  The  quantity  of  saccharine  matter  left 
in  the  begass  renders  it  a  nutritious  food  for  stock. 
This  refuse,  by  leaching  water  through  it,  yields  a 
saccharine  solution  which  may  be  fermented  into 
beer  or  vinegar,  and  may  be  distilled  into  whis- 
key and  alcohol.  It  may  be  also  advantageously 
used  to  cover  the  cut  canes  in  hot  weather,  when 
it  may  be  desired  to  have  a  large  quantity  kept 
at  the  mill  for  days  and  weeks  before  being  all 
used.  The  constant  evaporation  of  the  juice 
in  the  begass  keeps  the  cane  beneath  at  a  tem- 
perature so  low  as  to  prevent  fermentation,  as 
well  as  the  drying  of  the  cane  ;  it  will  also  serve 
to  shield  it  from  the  frost.  A  suggestion  has 
been  made  to  convert  the  ligneous  fibre  into 
paper.  It  certainly  is  a  better  material  for  this 
purpose  than  much  that  is  now  employed.  It  is, 
6 


60  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

however,  an  object  of  minor  importance  to  the 
Southern  planter  as  yet.  As  a  manure,  the 
begass  is  evidently  a  most  valuable  article,  for 
its  large  amount  of  phosphoric  acid,  added  to  the 
decomposing  vegetable  and  the  other  mineral 
matters  which  it  contains,  while  the  remaining 
portions  of  saccharine  juice  readily  induce  a  fer- 
mentation which  ends  in  putrefaction,  and  leaves 
the  mass  in  a  fit  state  for  the  nourishment  of 
plants.  The  large  quantities  of  mineral  matter, 
and  particularly  the  phosphoric  acid,  which  the 
cane  in  its  growth  must  remove  from  the  soil, 
necessarily  imply  that  it  will  be  an  exhausting 
crop,  since  these  materials  certainly  cannot  be 
furnished  by  the  atmosphere.  This  evil  may,  in 
great  part,  be  removed  by  carefully  returning 
to  the  soil  again  the  refuse  in  form  of  manure. 
If  other  fertilizers  be  needed  to  repair  the  wa"ste, 
Mexican  phosphatic  guanos,  .which  are  now 
offered  at  low  prices,  would  doubtless  be  advan- 
tageous. 

"In  the  experiments  by  me,  during  the  winter 
of  1855,  and  also  at  the  farm* of  Mr.  Peters,  in 
September  last,  I  was  forcibly  struck  with  the 
better  quality  of  the  juice  grown  in  our  section 
of  country,  as  compared  with  that  experi- 
mented upon  by  Mons.  Vilmorin,  whose  paper 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  61 

will  be  found  translated  for  the  present  year's 
Working  Farmer.  He  gives  the  density  of 
his  sap  at  1.050  to  1.075,  while  that  examined 
by  myself  was  uniformly  found  to  be  1.085,  with 
but  little  variation,  and  in  every  case  some  small 
corrections  for  temperature,  which  would  increase 
the  specific  gravity  slightly.  The  average  density 
given  by  various  observers  in  the  West  Indies, 
of  juice  from  the  several  varieties  of  sugar-cane 
grown  in  these  colonies,  is  about  9  degrees 
Baume,  corresponding  to  a  specific  gravity  of 
1.064,  —  less,  considerably,  than  mine.  From 
this  fact,  however,  it  is  not  to  be  inferred  that 
the  juice  of  our  cane  abounds  more  largely  in 
saccharine  matter  than  that  of  the  West  Indies  ; 
for  such  probably  is  not  the  fact ;  for  the  former 
is  known  to  contain  a  larger  proportion  of  salt 
and  vegetable  matters  than  the  latter.  It  argues 
only  the  remarkable  adaptation  of  the  Chinese 
cane  to  our  climate  and  soil.  M.  Vilmorin  ob- 
tained from  this  '  sap  '  of  the  densities  named, 
from  1.050  to  1.075,  on  the 

13th  of  October,  1853,        10.04  per  cent,  saccharine  matter. 
28th  of  November,  "  13.08         "  "  « 

28th  "      (2nd  trial)  14.06         "  "  " 

14th  «       1854,        16.00 

Of  the  latter,  11.75  were  uncrystallizable,  and 


64  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

machinery,  expressing  70  per  cent.,  we  have  a 
yield  of  570  gallons  per  acre.  I  examined  care- 
fully the  specimens  of  syrup  boiled  under  the  eye 
of  Mr.  Peters,  and  also  by  myself.  Several  of 
these  specimens  were  of  a  superior  quality,  all 
of  them  surpassing  my  expectations,  in  view  of 
the  crude  manner  in  which  they  were  made. 
There  is  present  in  all  of  them,  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree  (owing  to  differences  in  manipulation), 
a  peculiar  flavor,  reminding  one  of  the  maple- 
sugar,  which  is  very  grateful  to  the  palate,  and 
gives  it  a  decided  preference  over  the  article 
which  we  get  under  the  name  of  New  Orleans 
syrup.  This,  so  far  as  I  know,  has  been  the  uni- 
form judgment  of  all  who  have  tasted  it.  These 
syrups  give  a  precipitate  of  foreign  matters  with 
the  basic  acetate  of  lead  (a  delicate  test),  little, 
if  at  all,  greater  in  amount  than  the  New  Orleans 
syrup.  The  precise  nature  of  these  precipitates 
remains  to  be  ascertained  and  compared.  The 
syrups  vary  considerably  in  density  :  those  from 
the  Chinese  cane  ranging  from  1.298  to  1.335, 
while  that  of  the  New  Orleans  sample  was  1.321. 
This  variation  in  the  density  is  an  evil  which 
should  be  corrected,  to  produce  a  good  market- 
able syrup,  which  shall  keep  well.  Samples  of 
the  Chinese  cane  syrup  have  been  valued  by  the 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  65 

intelligent  dealers  in  the  article,  in  our  sec- 
tion, at  from  65  to  75  cents  the  gallon,  by  the 
barrel. 

"In  calculating  the  yield  of  this  crop,  we  must 
take  into  consideration  twelve  hundred  pounds  of 
excellent  fodder,  and  twenty-five  bushels  of  corn, 
worth,  as  food  for  stock,  say  two  thirds  the  value 
of  the  ordinary  corn  ;  so  that  we  can  fairly  off- 
set against  the  syrup  crop,  in  the  way  of  ex- 
penses, nothing  more  than  the  labor  of  its  manu- 
facture, for  the  forage  and  corn  will  repay  the 
expenses  of  the  culture.  A  full  consideration 
of  the  facts,  which  have  been  passed  over  some- 
what in  detail,  must  make  it  evident  to  the  mind 
of  every  intelligent  farmer  that  this  plant  pre- 
sents, at  the  present  time,  a.  promise  of  reward 
for  its  culture  unequalled  by  any  which  has  been 
introduced  upon  our  soil  since  the  introduction 
of  the  cotton  crop." 

The  above  information  is  of  a  very  valuable 
character,  such  as  I  have  not  been  able  to  get 
from  any  other  source,  and  such  as  can  be 
depended  upon.  It  gives  us  rules  for  planting, 
harvesting,  and  manufacturing,  which  are,  for 
the  most  part,  applicable  to  any  and  all  latitudes 
where  the  cane  will  grow.  In  regard  to  the  use 
of  lime,  I  would  say  that  I  should  much  prefer 


66  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

to  use  it,  even  if  it  did  not  assist  in  clarifying ; 
for  we  know  it  will  neutralize  the  acid  which  the 
juice  contains,  and  so  make  it  more  pleasant  to 
the  taste,  and  tend  to  preserve  it  longer.  The 
syrup  alluded  to,  which  Mr.  Peters  made,  I  have 
seen  ;  and  noticed  that  it  was  of  a  darker  color, 
and  not  so  heavy  as  that*  which  I  made,  for  the 
reason  it  was  not  boiled  so  much.  Still,  the  syrup 
is  such  as  would  sell  readily  at  the  prices  named 
by  Prof.  Battey.  I  add  the  following  from  the 
National  Intelligencer : 

"  The  Chinese  Sugar-cane  has  come  to  be  the 
ordinary  name  of  the  Sorgho  Sucre,  a  most  val- 
uable plant  of  the  sugar-cane  order,  and,  there- 
fore, allied  to  the  maize  or  Indian  corn,  but  more 
nearly  to  the  broom- corn.  Its  cultivation  has 
commenced  amongst  us,  and  there  is  now  in 
Washington  more  than  an  acre  of  it,  growing 
luxuriantly,  and  promising  a  yield  of  considerably 
upwards  of  one  hundred  bushels  of  seed,  besides 
many  tons  of  stems  and  foliage,  rich  with  sac- 
charine fluid  and  solid  food,  material  for  horses, 
neat  cattle,  and  swine.  Not  only  here,  but  in 
various  and  widely-distant  parts  of  the  Union, 
has  trial  been  made  of  it,  and  with  uniform 
gratifying  results.  We  have  read  a  letter  from 
a  farmer  in  Illinois,  who  has  tested  its  character, 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  67 

and  reports  of  it  in  the  most  favorable  manner. 
Out  of  a  gallon  of  the  liquid  sap  in  the  stem, 
which  he  expressed  by  the  primitive  contrivance 
of  a  rolling-pin,  he  obtained,  by  boiling,  a  quart 
of  molasses,  with  very  little  impurity,  and  of 
approved  taste.  The  usual  proportions  of  sugar 
to  sap  lie  between  fifteen  and  twenty  per  cent., 
the  crystallizable  sugar  increasing  with  the  de- 
crease of  the  latitude.  Beside  this  proportion  of 
sugar,  there  is  an  amount  of  perhaps  five  or  eight 
per  cent,  of  uncrystallizable  sap,  from  which  a 
very  agreeable  beverage  can  be  made,  and  alco- 
hol distilled  more  cheaply  than  by  any  other 
method.  This  sap,  strange  to  say,  if  set  with 
the  oxide  of  tin,  will  dye  silk  of  a  beautiful 
pink.  As  a  food-plant  for  stock  of  all  kinds,  it 
seems  to  overtop  all  we  now  possess,  furnishing, 
in  fair  soils,  twenty-five  tons  per  acre  of  excel- 
lent fodder,  every  bit  of  which  is  greedily  eaten 
by  animals.  The  seeds,  too,  by  which  the  plant 
is  propagated  —  in  this,  unlike  and  superior  to 
the  sugar-cane  of  Louisiana,  which  is  raised  by 
cuttings  —  are  fit  for  human  food.  At  all  events, 
when  ground  and  made  up  into  cakes,  after  the 
manner  of  linseed  cakes,  they  supply  a  good 
material  for  fattening  stock.  The  brush,  or  top 
from  which  these  seeds  are  taken,  is  not  without 


68  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

its  service  ;  for  the  plant  is  a  species  of  broom- 
corn,  and,  therefore,  its  top,  when  deprived  of 
seed,  answers  well  wherewith  to  manufacture 
brooms.  When  the  sap,  top,  seeds,  and  leaves, 
are  taken,  leaving  only  the  crushed  stem,  it  still 
has  an  economic  value,  ft>r  paper  can  be  manu- 
factured from  it. 

"  This  valuable  addition  to  our  vegetable  pro- 
ductions is  originally  a  native  of  China,  but  has 
been  sedulously  cultivated  for  several  years  in 
South-eastern  Caifraria,  whence  it  passed  into 
France  and  Algeria,  in  which  last  country  it 
comes  to  great  perfection.  It  would  be  hard  to 
calculate  its  value.  It  constitutes  every  farm  on 
which  it  is  grown  its  own  sugar-camp,  orchard, 
winery,  and  granary,  as  well  as  a  stock-farm  and 
dairy.  Indeed,  the  sorgho  may  be  deemed  a 
sort  of  vegetable  sheep,  every  part  and  con- 
stituent of  which  is  valuable." 

It  still  further  says,  in  another  article : 
"Among  the  exotic  plants  recently  introduced 
into  this  country  by  the  Patent  Office,  in  the 
prosecution  of  its  agricultural  operations,  is  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane,  or  Sorgho  Sucre  (Sorghum 
Saccharatum).  The  history  of  its  introduction, 
and  some  account  of  its  success,  have  been,  from 
time  to  time,  laid  before  the  public  through  the 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  69 

columns  of  the  Intelligencer  and  other  channels, 
exciting  the  scepticism  of  many,  and  even  the 
derision  of  some,  but,  fortunately,  awakening 
the  curiosity  and  enterprise  of  discerning  and 
intelligent  agriculturists  in  various  sections  of 
the  United  States.  We  have  now  the  gratifi- 
cation of  realizing  the  happy  results  of  the 
investigations  and  labors  of  this  latter  class  in  the 
successful  cultivation,  it  is  hoped  and  believed,  of 
one  of  the  most  valuable  products  of  the  soil  that 
has  ever  engaged  the  attention  of  the  husband- 
man,—  a  product  which  there  are  well-grounded 
reasons  for  assuming  will,  of  itself,  in  a  brief 
period,  more  than  recompense  all  the  pecuniary 
aid  and  labor  that  have  been  bestowed  upon  the 
whole  subject  of  agriculture  by  our  government, 
in  the  introduction  of  a  plant  that  may  be  propa- 
gated with  advantage  in  every  locality  in  the 
Union,  that  will  provide  an  essential  aliment  and 
a  luxury  to  every  family  at  an  exceedingly  low 
cost,  and  that  may  before  long  enable  us  to 
export  to  various  portions  of  the  world  an  article 
of  merchandise  that  we  now  import  to  the  amount 
of  nearly  fifteen  millions  of  dollars  a  year.  It  is 
a  singular  and  gratifying  coincidence  that  the 
introduction  of  this  plant,  and  the  discovery  of  its 
great  excellence  and  adaptation  to  the  soil  and 


70  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

climate  of  many  regions  of  the  United  States, 
should  be  made  at  the  precise  moment  of  the  ap- 
parent decadence  of  the  culture  of  the  sugar-cane 
upon  the  plantations  of  the  South.  That  this 
may  not  result  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  import- 
ant interests  involved  in  these  plantations,  is  not 
only  desired  but  believed  by  those  who  are  fos- 
tering the  cultivation  of  the  new  plant ;  for  it 
appears  to  be  the  accepted  opinion,  that,  though 
the  latter  may  prosper  in  any  locality  in  which 
maize  or  Indian  corn  succeeds,  yet  the  soil  and 
climate  capable  of  producing  the  sugar-cane  will 
prove  the  best  adapted  of  all  to  the  sorgho 
sucre,  and  that  it  will  hence  flourish  there  in 
its  greatest  perfection." 

It  will  be  seen  that,  though  it  is  claimed  that 
the  cane  will  flourish  best  in  the  South,  yet  it  is 
freely  allowed  that  it  will  do  well  wherever  In- 
dian corn  will  flourish.  If  any  doubts  still  exist 
in  the  mind  of  the  reader,  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
remove  them,  so  far  as  possible,  before  I  finish. 

I  shall  next  give  an  article  from  Prof.  J.  J. 
Mapes,  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  which  appears 
in  the  November  number  of  the  Working  Farmer, 
entitled  "Refined  Sugar  from  the  Chinese  Cane." 
Prof.  Mapes  is  known  to  be  au  fait  in  all  such 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  71 

matters,  as  we  shall  see  from  the  valuable  and 
practical  matter  below. 

' '  During  the  past  season  many  new  facts  have 
occurred  which  cannot  but  interest  our  readers. 
Among  these  is  the  successful  cultivation  of  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane,  or  Sorgho.  We  received  a 
small  package  from  the  Farmer's  Club  of  the 
American  Institute,  and  have  grown  a  few  square 
rods.  Messrs.  Olcott  and  Vail,  of  the  Westches- 
ter  Farm  School,  at  Mount  Vernon,  New  York, 
have  raised  an  acre,  and  both  their  experiments 
and  our  own,  so  far  as  pursued,  seem  to  endorse 
the  views  of  others.  The  stalks  of  the  sorgho 
are  more  numerous  than  those  of  corn,  and  grow 
with  us  eleven  feet  high.  The  quantity  of  seed 
is  very  large,  while  the  stalks  and  leaves  are 
much  sweeter  than  corn-stalks,  and  are  readily 
eaten  by  cattle,  being  preferred  by  them  to  the 
stalks  of  the  sweet-corn.  Messrs.  Olcott  and  Vail 
have  made  syrup  from  the  juice,  of  a  light  straw- 
color,  and  in  every  way  equal  in  flavor  to  that  of 
the  sugar-cane.  If  our  friends  in  Carolina  are 
right  in  their  views  of  the  value  of  this  plant, — 
and  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  them, —  it  will 
enable  a  large  portion  of  the  Northern  States  to 
manufacture  sugar  of  good  quality  —  indeed,  of 
any  quality,  as,  from  the  improved  method  now 
7 


72  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

understood,  white  sugar  (refined)  may  be  made 
direct  from  the  juice.  The  only  difficulty  in  this 
manufacture  consists  in  the  fact  that  large  man- 
ufactories alone  can  produce  the  best  qualities  at 
low  cost ;  and  not  until  such  factories  can  be 
established  in  districts  capable  of  supplying  the 
necessary  quantities  of  canes  can  the  best  results 
be  obtained.  In  the  mean  time,  we  will  give 
such  necessary  directions  for  the  manufacture  of 
sugar  from  the  juice  of  the  sorgho  as  may  be 
best  availed  of  by  the  small  operator. 

' '  When  the  grower  intends  to  make  sugar,  he 
should  pinch  off  the  seed-heads  before  they  are 
fully  formed,  or,  indeed,  as  soon  as  they  appear, 
thus  causing  the  plants  to  give  a  larger  yield  of 
stronger  juice.  A  cheap  and  effective  mill  for 
expressing  the  juice  may  be  made  of  three  roll- 
ers, arranged  like  the  ordinary  sugar-mill  for 
West  India  use,  but  of  small  size.  Two  of 
the  rollers  should  be  on  a  horizontal  plane,  with 
a  third  roller  above,  and  all  geared  to  the  same 
speed.  Such  a  mill  will  separate  much  of  the 
juice,  and  it  may  be  used  by  hand  or  other 
power,  as  preferred.  The  great  art  of  sugar- 
making  is  to  get  the  largest  quantity  of  crystals 
and  the  smallest  of  molasses  or  syrup,  and  this 
will  depend  in  a  great  measure  on  the  rapidity 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  73 

of  the  process.  Even  the  quality  of  the  molas- 
ses itself  is  dependent  upon  its  rapid  concentra- 
tion during  the  early  stages  of  manufacture. 
All  must  have  observed  that  a  freshly  broken  or 
cut  apple,  if  exposed  to  the  atmosphere,  will 
become  brown  in  a  short  time  ;  and  a  similar 
effect  is  constantly .  going  on  with  cane-juice, 
from  the  time  it  is  expressed  until  its  final  con- 
centration. 

"  The  apparatus  for  clarifying,  concentration, 
etc.,  so  should  be  constructed  as  to  insure  the 
greatest  rapidity  of  action.  In  a  small  way 
brass  kettles  may  be  used  ;  but  for  larger  opera- 
tions, requiring  new  ones  to  be  constructed,  they 
should  be  of  copper.  The  use  of  alkalies  in 
clarifying  has  long  been  known,  and  their  excess- 
ive use  often  injures  the  quality  of  the  results. 
The  operator  should  supply  himself  with  three 
kettles,  two  large  and  one  small.  The  juice,  as 
soon  as  expressed,  should  be  placed  in  one  of  the 
large  kettles,  and  to  which  should  be  added  — 
say  to  ten  gallons  —  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  cream 
of  lime,  one  pound  of  finely-ground  and  freshly- 
burned  bone-black,  and  two  ounces  of  bullock's 
blood,  or  the  whites  of  two  eggs,  or  half  a  pint 
of  skim  milk,  —  either  will  do.  The  blood  or 
eggs,  if  used,  should  be  beaten,  and  then  well 


74  THE   CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

divided  throughout  the  mass,  stirring  all  cold, 
and  during  the  early  part  of  the  heating.  The 
process  in  this  kettle  should  be  conducted  some- 
what slowly,  and  if  the  kettle  be  large  enough 
to  permit  all  the  scum  to  rise  without  overflow- 
ing it,  the  scum  need  not  be  removed,  as  it  will 
remain  on  top  of  the  fluid,  becoming  more  and 
more  compact.  The  juice  should  not  be  allowed 
to  boil  or  simmer.  After  the  clarification  is 
perfect,  the  scum  on  top  will  crack  open  in  all 
directions,  and  white,  sparkling  bubbles  will  rise 
through  these  cracks,  overflowing  the  top  of  the 
scum,  and  it  will  turn  over  in  masses.  The  scum 
may  be  taken  off  and  the  juice  thrown  on  a 
blanket  in  an  open  basket,  thus  partially  filter- 
ing the  mass. 

"  It  should  then  be  placed  in  kettle  No.  2, 
and  boiled  as  rapidly  as  possible  until  a  thermom- 
eter placed  in  it  will  indicate  220  degrees  of' 
Fahrenheit,  when  it  should  be  again  filtered. 
The  first  portion  passing  the  filter  should  be 
returned,  as  it  will  not  be  quite  clear.  The 
whole  will  then  be  bright,  and  may  be  put  into 
kettle  No.  3,  which  need  be  but  half  the  size  of 
the  others,  and  should  be  placed  on  a  clear, 
strong  fire,  and  so  arranged  that  it  can  be  read- 
ily taken  from  the  fire  at  short  notice.  Place  in 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  75 

this  kettle  a  thermometer  —  it  will  commence 
boiling  at  220  degrees,  and  gradually  increase 
to  240  degrees  ;  the  instant  it  reaches  that 
point  it  should  be  taken  from  the  fire  suddenly, 
for  if  permitted  to  rise  to  241  degrees,  or  more, 
it  can  never  be  purged.  Let  it  stand  in  this 
kettle  until  a  slight  crust  commences  to  form  on 
the  sides  and  top,  then  scrape  this  down  with  a 
wooden  spatula,  thin  at  the  end  and  edges,  and 
stir  all  until  evenly  mixed -with  the  more  fluid 
portions  ;  then  pour  into  a  conical  sugar-mould, 
stopped  at  its  lower  end,  and  place  the  nose  of 
this  mould  on  a  drip-pot.  This  sugar-mould 
should  be  of  the  kind  known  as  the  Bastar- 
inould,  and  it  and  the  drip  should  stand  in  a  warm 
place.  The  next  day  the  sugar  in  the  mould 
will  be  solid,  and  the  plug  in  the  bottom  of  the 
mould  may  be  withdrawn  and  an  incision  made 
upward  with  a  pegging-awl,  replacing  the  mould 
on  the  drip-pot.  The  sugar  or  molasses  will 
gradually  drip  from  the  nose  of  the  mould  into 
the  pot,  and  the  time  necessary  for  this  purging 
will  depend  upon  the  heat  of  the  apartment 
where  it  is  placed  ;  usually  the  syrup  will  all 
run  off  in  the  natural  way  in  a  week  or  ten 
days,  leaving  the  sugar  in  the  mould  of  a  light 
straw-color.  If  the  operator  desires  to  make 
7* 


76  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR- CANE. 

the  sugar  white,  he  may  do  so  by  the  process  of 
claying,  or  liquoring.  We  were  several  years 
engaged  in  sugar-refining,  making  sugar,  etc., 
and  shall  be  fully  prepared  to  give  all  the  neces- 
sary particulars  both  for  large  and  small  manu- 
facture, should  the  experience  of  next  year 
prove  the  practicability  of  Northern  sugar- 
making. 

"  From  the  experiments  made  in  Georgia  we 
cannot  but  believe  that  in  the  Middle  States,  at 
least,  this  new  industry  may  possibly  be  profita- 
bly prosecuted.  In  the  large  way,  the  expense 
of  manufacture  need  not  be  so  great  as  named  by 
Mr.  Peters,  —  ten  to  fifteen  cents  per  gallon. 
Indeed,  from  our  experiments  with  the  stalks  for 
feeding  purposes,  we  think  the  unripe  portions 
of  the  canes,  or  those  not  in  the  best  order  for 
sugar-making,  added  to  the  begass,  or  pressed 
canes,  and  cut  up  in  the  ordinary  way,  would  be 
worth  as  much  for  fodder  as  the  cost  of  the  sugar- 
making,  in  such  localities  as  can  supply  them- 
selves cheaply  with  fuel,  etc. 

"  It  will  be  remembered,  that  while  the  Hon. 
H.  L.  Ellsworth  was  Commissioner  of  Patents,  at 
Washington,  he  was  much  interested  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  sugar  from  corn-stalks  ;  and  in  con- 
sequence of  the  excitement  at  that  time  we 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  77 

raised  a  quantity  of  sugar,  or  sweet  corn,  for  the 
purpose  of  sugar-making,  pinching  off  the  fruit 
as  fast  as  it  appeared  —  and  thus  forcing  all  the 
secretions  of  the  plant  into  the  stalk.  The 
growth  was  very  large,  and  the  juice  highly 
charged  with*  sugar,  its  strength  indicating  10| 
degrees  on  Baume's  saccharometer,  being  stronger 
than  the  best  Louisiana  cane-juice,  and,  of 
course,  capable  of  giving  more  sugar  per  gallon ; 
but,  unfortunately,  so  few  gallons  per  acre  as 
not  to  give  a  paying  result.  We  made  refined 
sugar  from  these  corn-stalks,  and  that  year  exhib- 
ited at  the  American  Institute  several  loaves  of 
corn-stalk  sugar." 

I  think  I  cannot  more  profitably  occupy  the 
space  than  by  continuing  these  reports  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country  ;  for  by  them  each 
one  will  be  able  to  judge  for  himself  whether  we 
have  got  in  this  cane  a  plant  adapted  to  our 

various  latitudes. 

• 

Extract  from  a  statement  of  Joseph  C.  Orth,  of  Illinois, 
from  Patent  Office  Report  of  1855. 

' '  Profiting  by  the  remark  printed  upon  the 
paper  which  contained  the    seeds,  —  '  good  for 
fodder,  green  or  dry,  and  for  making  sugar,  '- 
I  cut  off  a  few  stalks  and  offered  them  to  my 


78  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

horses  and  cattle,  which  ate  them  with  apparent 
good  relish,  and  seemed  to  ask  for  more.  I  then 
concluded  that,  as  a  part  of  its  recommendations 
were  true,  I  should  also  try  the  other,  and  man- 
ufacture sugar  from  the  juice.  Its  stalk  being 
very  long  and  heavy,  and  exceedingly  rich  in 
juice,  and  to  the  taste,  in  its  natural  state, 
almost  as  sweet  as  molasses,  no  douht  remained 
upon  my  mind  that  it  was  what  it  was  said  to 
be.  I  cut  six  stalks,  placed  them  successively 
upon  $  flat  board,  took  a  rolling-pin,  and,  as 
well  as  this  simple  machine  enabled  it  to  be 
done,  expressed  and  saved  the  juice.  The  result 
was,  I  obtained  two  tumblers-full,  but  half  was 
not  saved.  This  was  then  boiled  down,  and 
produced  one  of  the  same  tumblers  half-full  of 
good,  pleasant-tasted  molasses,  about  as  thick  as 
the  common  molasses  obtained  in  the  shops.  But, 
as  my  object  was  simply  to  ascertain  the  quan- 
tity rather  than  the  quality  of  saccharine  matter 
contained,  this  juice*  was  neither  strained  nor 
clarified,  and  therefore  its  taste  was  not  equal  to 
what  it  would  be  under  more  careful  treatment. 
From  all  I  could  observe  concerning  this  plant, 
I  am  fully  convinced  that  15  per  cent,  of  good 
clarified  sugar  could  be  obtained  from  the  juice. 
My  experiment  produced  about  25  per  cent,  of 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  79 

molasses.  This,  it  would  seem,  is  evidence  strong 
enough  to  warrant  a  more  extended  trial  of  its 
merits ;  and  if  it  will  in  any  way  supply  the 
place  of  cane-sugar,  it  must  of  necessity  become 
a  very  important  and  valuable  acquisition  to  the 
agricultural  products  of  the  Middle  and  Northern 
States.  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  it  will  ripen  in 
north  latitude  42°,  which  is  about  the  northern 
limit  of  Illinois." 

Extract  of  a  statement  of  Samuel   Clapham,  of   Suffolk 
County,  New  York : 

"  Early  in  May  last  I  received  a  small  parcel 
of  the  seeds  of  the  Chinese  Sugar-cane  (Sorghum 
Saccharatum),  which  I  cultivated  somewhat  after 
the  method  of  Indian  corn.  The  proper  time 
for  planting,  however,  I  should  say  would  be  the 
same  as  that  of  early  corn,  as  I  find  it  quite 
hardy ;  and  stalks  of  it  cut  down  the  end  of 
October  made  fresh  shoots  after  two  rather  heavy 
frosts,  and  still  were  good  for  feed.  From 
twenty-five  plants  I  obtained  half  a  bushel  of 
ripe  seed. 

******* 

' '  Although  in  this  part  of  the  country  I  look 
upon  this  plant  as  of  great  value  as  a  forage 
crop,  yet  possibly  it  may  be  profitably  cultivated 


80  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

for  sugar,  as  the  juice  contains  nearly  ten  per 
cent,  of  saccharine  matter  as  clear  as  crystal, 
and,  on  a  very  small  scale,  beautiful  clarified 
sugar  was  produced  by  my  friend  Dr.  Ray." 

D.  Minis,  of  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania, 
writes  thus  :  "  Last  spring  I  received  from  the 
Patent  Office  a  small  parcel  of  the  seeds  of  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane.  I  planted  it  about  the  20th 
of  May,  although  it  might  have  been  sown  ten 
or  fifteen  days  earlier ;  but,  fearing  that  it  might 
be  injured  by  a  late  frost,  I  preferred  to  plant  it 
thus  late.  I  planted  it  in  the  centre  of  a  twenty- 
acre  field  in  two  rows,  with  the  hills  about  three 
and  a  half  feet  apart,  with  from  two  to  six  seeds 
in  each  hill.  Where  the  plants  were  three  or 
four  to  a  hill  they  grew  the  most  vigorously,  and 
seemed  to  produce  the  most  perfect  seed.  I  gave 
them  no  extra  culture,  either  in  labor  or  manure : 
the  plants  had  no  protection  from  sunshine  or 
storm  before  I  secured  the  seed. .  The  given 
weight  of  the  crop  on  a  given  space,  growing  as 
it  did  with  me  the  past  season,  I  think  would  be 
nearly  or  quite  equal  to  that  of  Indian  corn." 

D.  J.  Browne,  Esq.,  of  the  Patent  Office, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  in  his  late  report,  thus 
speaks  of  the  Chinese  Sugar-cane  :  "  Since  its 
introduction  into  this  country  it  has  proved 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  81 

itself  well  adapted  to  our  geographical  range  of 
Indian  corn.  It  is  of  easy  cultivation,  being 
similar  to  that  of  maize,  or  broom-corn  ;  and,  if 
the  seeds  are  planted  in  May  in  the  Middle 
States,  or  still  earlier  at  the  South,  two  crops  of 
fodder  can  be  grown  in  a  season  from  the  same 
roots,  irrespective  of  drouth  :  the  first  one  in 
June  or  July,  to  be  cut  before  the  panicles 
appear,  which  will  be  green  and  succulent,  like 
young  Indian  corn  ;  and  the  other  a  month  or 
two  later,  when  or  before  the  seed  is  fully 
matured.  The  amount  of  fodder  which  it  will 
produce  to  the  acre,  with  ordinary  cultivation, 
may  be  safely  estimated  at  seven  tons  when 
green,  or  at  least  two  tons  per  acre  when 
thoroughly  cured.  The  stalks  when  nearly 
mature  are  filled  with  a  rich  saccharine  juice, 
which  may  be  converted  into  sugar,  syrup,  alco- 
hol, or  beer,  or  may  be  used  for  dyeing  wool  or 
silk  a  permanent  red  or  pink  ;  and  the  entire 
plant  is  devoured  with  avidity,  either  in  a  green 
or  dry  state,  by  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  swine. 
Considered  in  a  utilitarian  point  of  view.,  this 
plant  perhaps  has  stronger  claims  on  the  Ameri- 
can agriculturists  than  any  other  product  that 
has  been  brought  to  this  country  since  the  intro- 
duction of  cotton  or  wheat.  Aside  from  other 


82  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

economical  uses,  its  value  for  feeding  to  animals 
alone,  in  every  section  of  the  Union  where  it  will 
thrive,  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  other  crop, 
as  a  greater  amount  of  nutritious  fodder  cannot 
be  obtained  so  cheap  on  a  given  space  within  so 
short  a  period  of  time.  Without  wishing  to  pre- 
sent the  question  in  an  extravagant  light,  it  may 
be  stated  that  this  crop  is  susceptible  of  being 
cultivated  within  the  territory  of  the  United 
States  to  an  extent  equal  to  that  of  Indian  corn, 
say,  25,000,000  acres  per  annum  ;  and  estimat- 
ing the  average  yield  of  dry  or  cured  fodder  to 
the  acre  at  two  tons,  the  yearly  amount  produced 
would  be  50,000,000  tons,  which,  to  keep  within 
bounds,  would  be  worth  at  least  $500,000,000, 
besides  the  profit  derived  from  the  animals  in 
milk,  flesh,  labor,  and  wool." 

The  above  article  is  from  the  gentleman  who 
introduced  this  sugar-cane  into  this  country,  and 
from  this  fact,  as  well  as  his  connection  with  the 
Patent  Office,  is  competent  to  judge  of  its  merits. 
The  evidence  given  by  him  is  fully  sufficient  to 
induce  every  farmer  to  try  it  for  fodder,  if  for 
no  other  purpose. 

A  writer  in  the  Chicago  Free  Press  expresses 
the  opinion  that  "in  1860  the  Southern  planter 
will  have  no  sale  for  his  sugar  in  the  State  of 


THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  83 

Illinois.  From  present  indications,  there  will  be 
one  hundred  acres  of  Chinese  Sugar-cane  raised 
in  Wabash  county,  next  year,  which  will  save 
the  county  $10,000." 

I  now  give  the  results  that  have  attended  the 
growing  of  Chinese  Sugar-cane  in  the  New 
England  States.  Most  of  the  accounts  previously 
given  were  from  persons  at  the  South  and  West. 
The  reason  I  shall  not  be  able  to  give  so  full  an 
account  of  its  culture  and  manufacture  at  the 
North  is  that  it  has  not  been  so  extensively 
tried ;  in  fact,  but  few  persons,  so  far  as  I  am 
able  to  judge,  have  heretofore  thought  it  worthy 
of  notice.  Among  those  who  have  given  it  a 
trial  is  the  editor  of  the  Amherst  (N.  H.}  Cabi- 
net, to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  following  : 

"We  have  frequently  alluded  to  our  experi- 
ment in  raising  the  Chinese  Sugar-cane,  from 
seed  received  at  the  Patent  Office.  We  are 
entirely  satisfied  that  it  can  be  raised  with  great 
profit  in  this  locality,  either  for  fodder  or  for  the 
making  of  sugar  or  molasses.  We  have  in  a 
small  way  tested  it  for  both,  and  think  we  can 
satisfy  the  most  incredulous  that  our  farmers  can 
raise  molasses  and  sugar  to  better  advantage 
than  they  can  either  corn  or  potatoes.  Our  seed 
we  received  late,  and  planted  after  corn  was 
8 


84  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

generally  up.  When  about  a  foot  in  height,  it 
encountered  a  violent  hail-storm,  which  seriously 
damaged  its  growth,  so  that  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  seed  is  sufficiently  ripe  to  be  relia- 
ble ;  and  we  shall  accordingly  secure  a  supply 
for  ourselves  and  others,  to  whom  we  have  prom- 
ised it,  from  Washington  or  elsewhere.  Prefer- 
ring securing  the  seed  to  experiments  in  sugar- 
making,  we  allowed  our  cane  to  stand  beyond 
the  proper  season  for  the  latter  purpose,  and 
after  gathering  it  stood  several  weeks  before 
used.  Last  week,  finding  election  over,  and  no 
firing  to  do,  and  but  little  to  interest  us  in  the 
papers,  we  essayed  to  convert  the  product  of  six 
hills,  planted  like  corn,  into  molasses.  We  run 
thirty-two  stalks  through  a  hay-cutter,  and  with 
our  standing  press  and  a  cheese-hoop  took  there- 
from three  quarts  of  clear  and  rich  juice,  which, 
being  boiled  to  the  consistence  of  sugar-house 
molasses,  yielded  one  pint.  The  flavor  is  very 
agreeable,  and  the  color  and  appearance  nearly 
that  of  honey  ;  and  it  is  the  universal  opinion  of 
those  who  have  tested  it  that  it  is  superior  to 
any  Southern  molasses." 

I  will  next  give  the  success  of  one  of  my 
neighbors,  and  an  esteemed  friend,  Mr.  Jonathan 
Stone,  of  East  Newton,  who  raised  some  of  the 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  85 

sugar-cane  the  past  season.  It  was  quite  late 
before  he  received  the  seed,  so  that  it  was  not 
planted  until  about  the  first  of  June.  It  was  put 
into  hills,  in  a  cabbage-field,  where  the  cabbages 
had  failed.  It  received  but  little  attention  until 
quite  late  in  the  autumn,  after  there  had  been 
several  frosts,  so  that  the  leaves  were  all  killed. 
About  the  middle  of  October,  Mr.  Stone,  at  my 
suggestion,  expressed  the  juice  from  a  number 
of  stalks,  boiled  it  down,  without  using  lime  or 
any  other  substance  either  to  clarify  or  to  neu- 
tralize the  acid,  and  obtained  a  beautiful  article 
of  syrup,  such  as  my  own  cane  furnished.  The 
seed  did  not  ripen  well,  on  account  of  the  lateness 
of  planting.  The  cane  grew  in  this  short  time 
to  over  ten  feet  in  height.  It  will  be  seen  by 
this  that  the  cane  may  be,  if  planted  early  in 
the  season,  grown  even  in  Massachusetts,  so  that 
there  would,  ordinarily,  be  a  whole  month  to 
manufacture  sugar  or  syrup.  We  also  learn,  by 
this,  that'  no  extra  amount  of  manure  or  labor 
is  necessary  to  raise  the  cane  of  good  size. 

Mr.  John  A.  Kenrick,  also  of  Newton,  raised 
some  of  the  sugar-cane.  He  started  it  in  a  hot- 
bed, and  then  transplanted  it  into  hills  in  the 
field,  where  it  grew  to  the  height  of  eleven  feet, 


86  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

and  very  stout,  the  best  specimens  I  have  ever 
seen.     It  ripened  its  seed  well. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Boston  Atlas  commu- 
nicates the  following,  concerning  an  experiment 
made  in  this  state  with  this  plant :  "  The  seeds 
were  planted  on  the  14th  of  last  June,  in  the 
same  manner  as  corn  is  usually  planted.  The^ 
canes  grew  to  the  height  of  ten  feet,  and  spin- 
dled like  broom-corn,  but  did  not  ripen  any  seed. 
About  the  10th  of  October,  the  crop  of  about 
forty  canes  was  harvested.  The  juice  was  ex- 
pressed by  means  of  a  sugar-mill,  such  as  used 
by  grocers  for  crushing  sugar.  The  forty  canes 
yielded  about  two  pints  and  a  half,  which  was 
boiled  down  to  syrup." 

From  the  New  England  Farmer  we  clip  the 
following,  written  by  J.  J.  H.  Gregory,  of  Mar- 
blehead,  Mass.  :  "About  the  middle  of  last  June 
I  received  a  small  package  of  the  seed  of  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane.  On  the  18th  of  the  same 
month  I  planted  a  few  seed  for  experiment,  from 
which  one  hill  of  seven  plants  was  reserved. 
These  thrived  well,  and  at  the  time  of  the  first 
heavy  frost  had  attained  a  growth  of  about  ten 
feet,  with  the  seed  at  the  tops  apparently  full- 
sized,  but,  as  was  anticipated  from  the  shortness 
of  the  growing  season,  not  well  filled,  and  scarcely 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  87 

colored.  From  six  of  the  stalks  the  juice  was 
expressed  and  boiled  down  to  the  consistency 
of  common  molasses,  yielding  about  a  common 
coffee-cup  full  (or  one  and  two  thirds  gills)  of 
a  rich  syrup,  which  our  grocers  considered  to  be 
richer  flavored  than  ordinary  molasses,  equal 
in  quality  to  the  syrup  of  commerce.  Please 
accept,  with  my  best  wishes,  Mr.  Editor,  the 
accompanying  sample  of  the  molasses." 

The  editor  says  :  "  Friend  Gregory  will  please 
accept  thanks  for  his  fine  specimen  of  Chinese 
sugar-cane  molasses,  —  an  article,  we  trust,  yet 
to  be  generally  introduced  as  one  of  our  staple 
New  England  crops.  It  is  a  syrup  rather  than 
molasses,  the  latter  being  an  article  drained  from 
sugar.  Let  it  have  a  more  extensive  trial,  an- 
other season." 

A  gentleman  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  grew  the 
cane  last  year,  and  the  seed  ripened  some  weeks 
before  the  frost  came.  This  goes  to  show  what 
I  have  said  in  another  place,  that  in  a  good 
season,  when  we  have  warm  weather, —  warmer 
than  the  past  season  has  been, — this  plant  would 
fully  mature  by  the  1st  to  the  10th  of  Septem- 
ber. It  is  true  this  would  give  but  a  short  time 
to  manufacture  a  quantity  of  sugar  or  syrup, 
unless  a  great  many  hands  were  employed.  And 


88  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

this  would  involve  a  large  outlay  for  a  mill,  or 
mills,  kettles,  &c.,  which  would  be  indispensable 
on  a  large  place.  The  climate  of  Louisiana 
allows  the  planter  from  sixty  to  ninety  days  to 
secure  his  crop  ;  and  even  this  often  proves  too 
short,  for  the  frosts  come  on,  and  put  a  stop  to 
the  sugar  operations. 

I  find  the  following  in  the  Massachusetts 
Ploughman,  in  regard  to  the  new  cane,  and  the 
syrup  manufactured  therefrom.  It  is  from  Mr. 
Foster  Bryant,  of  Mansfield,  Mass.,  a  gentleman 
well  known  to  the  public  : 

"  To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PLOUGHMAN.  —  Sir  : 
With  this  I  send  you  a  sample  of  syrup  obtained 
from  the  Sorgho  Sucre.  I  received  a  package  of 
seeds  from  the  Patent  Office,  which  I  planted  in 
hills  three  feet  apart  in  a  single  row,  and  on 
land  varying  from  the  capacity  of  14  hills  to  a 
bushel  of  potatoes  up  to  60.  On  the  good  land 
the  plants  attained  the  height  of  ten  feet,  while 
on  the  poorest  the  height  did  not  exceed  three 
feet  six  inches.  I  suffered  six  stalks  in  a  hill 
to  grow.  Hoed  but  twice  ;  planted  in  the  mid- 
dle of  May ;  land  moderately  manured  broad- 
cast, but  not  in  the  hill.  I  could  not  obtain 
rollers  to  crush  the  stalks,  and  therefore  resorted 
to  the  expedient  of  splitting  and  boiling  in  water. 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  89 

I  do  not  suppose  I  obtained  more  than  half  of  the 
saccharine  sap  by  this  method  ;  while  the  added 
water  greatly  protracted  evaporation,  which,  hav- 
ing been  performed  in  an  iron  kettle,  has  proba- 
bly heightened  the  color,  and  for  aught  I  know 
imparted  a  somewhat  peculiar  taste.  I  can  give 
no  information  touching  the  cost  of  the  syrup  ; 
and,  being  ignorant  of  the  art  of  making  sugar,  I 
made  no  attempt  to  procure  the  latter. 

"  I  think  land  that  will  grow  fifty  bushels  of 
corn  to  the  acre  will  bear  a  heavy  crop  of  the 
sorgho  sucre  ;  but  I  very  much  doubt  if  our  sea- 
son is  long  enough  to  ripen  the  seed,  unless  the 
plants  are  brought  forward  in  a  hot-house.  In 
my  case,  the  seeds  were  not  'fully  formed  when 
the  heavy  frosts  occurred,  the  first  of  which  made 
ice  one  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  without  white 
frost.  This  apparently  did  not  injure  the  plants. 
The  following  night  a  heavy  white  frost  occurred, 
and  the  leaves  were  shrivelled  and  dry  before 
midday,  but  the  stalks  showed  no  change.  I  cut 
them  the  same  afternoon." 

The  editor  comments  as  follows  :  "  We  have 
received  a  bottle  of  the  saccharine  matter  from 
Mr.  Bryant,  and  given  it  a  taste.  It  is  of  much 
the  same  flavor  as  the  sap  of  the  sugar-maple, 
when  boiled  down  to  the  degree  of  consistence. 


90  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  , 

We  thank  Mr.  B.  for  his  specimen  of  the  sap 
thus  prepared  ;  and  hope  others  will  he  induced 
to  grow  this  plant,  on  a  small  scale  at  first,  for 
it  may  prove  a  superior  article  for  fattening  ani- 
mals, if  not  for  making  sugar." 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Bryant  did  not  succeed 
in  ripening  the  seed,  many  others  have,  even  in 
Massachusetts,  so  that  we  need  not  doubt  on 
that  score.  And  even  if  the  seed  should  not  all 
ripen,  or  any  part  of  it,  the  cost  of  seed  would 
be  but  little ;  for  it  can  be  imported  in  great 
abundance  from  France,  or  brought  from  the 
South,  so  that  it  will  undoubtedly  be  furnished 
in  a  year  or  two  for  less  than  fifty  cents .  per 
pound.  It  will  also  be  seen  by  the  above  that 
the  stalks  did  not  receive  any  apparent  injury, 
even  from  a  heavy  frost,  though  I  very  much 
doubt  whether  it  would  be  best  to  run  the  risk. 
It  has  been  found  to  flourish  as  far  north  as 
Minnesota,  where  it  has  attained  the  height  of 
twelve  to  fifteen  feet.  So  in  the  New  England 
States,  where  it  has  not  only  grown  well,  but 
ripened  its  seeds.  It  has  been  grown  to  some 
extent  by  many  persons  through  the  New  Eng- 
land States,  as  well  as  in  other  portions  of  the 
country,  and  the  universal  testimony  is,  "  It 
grew  well  with  us,  but  we  did  not  try  it  for 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  91 

sugar  or  syrup."  I  have  not  thought  it  best  to 
take  more  space  in  giving  accounts  of  experi- 
ments, presuming  that  enough  have  already  been 
given. 

The  following  brief  hints  may  be  of  use  to 
those  who  propose  to  enter  upon  its  cultiva- 
tion : 

'  1.  Select  a  warm  and  dry  soil,  such  as  you 
would  select  for  Indian  corn. 

2.  Prepare    your   ground    precisely   as    you 
would  for  corn,  either  by  spreading  your  ma- 
nure, or  putting  in  hills, —  about  the  same  dis- 
tance between  the  hills,  where  the  ground  is 
rich. 

3.  In  planting,  which  should  be  done  early, 
put  into  each  hill  six  or  eight  seeds.     Cover 
lightly  with   well-pulverized   soil, —  say,  three 
fourths  to  one  inch  deep  ;  pull  out  all  but  four 
or  five  at  second  hoeing.     If  planted  in  drills, 
seed  enough  should  be  used  so  that  after  hoeing 
there  may  be  a  stalk  to  every  four  or  five  inches ; 
from  a  pound  and  a  half  to  two  pounds  of  seed 
should  be  used. 

4.  Cultivate  and  hoe  as  with  corn ;  care  should 
be  taken  that  the  ignorant  do  not  hoe  up  the 
young  plants,  taking  them  for  barn-grass,  which 
they  very  much  resemble. 


92  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

5.  When  the  panicles  appear,  they  should  be 
cut  off  of  all  that  which  is  intended  for  sugar  or 
syrup  making. 

6.  When  the  plant  has  just  passed  into  bloom, 
the  stalk  may  be  used  for  syrup,  but  will  con- 
tinue to  grow  better  until  the  seed  is  in  the  milk- 
stage,  or  little  later. 

7.  The   stalks   should   be   cut  close   to   the 
ground,  with  a  bill-hook  or  some  such  tool,  and 
stripped  of  their  leaves,  and  the  green,  succulent 
top  cut  off,  when  they  are  ready  for  the  mill ; 
the  leaves  and  top  may  be  fed  green  to  cattle,  or 
dried. 

8.  The  stalks  should  be  passed  through-  the 
mill  twice  or  more,  until  most  or  all  of  the  juice 
is  expressed. 

9.  The  juice  should  not  be  allowed  to  stand 
long  after  being  expressed,  but  boiled  at  once,  if 
possible.     A  slow  fire  should  be  made  under  the 
kettle,  —  which  should  be  of  brass,  or  much  bet- 
ter of  copper,  —  and  the  juice  should  not  be 
allowed  to  boil  until  the  green  scum  has  all  been 
taken  off.     Lime-water  may  be  used  to  aid  in 
clarifying  and  to  neutralize  the  acid  ;  the  exact 
quantity  is  not  yet  determined,  but  to  every  five 
gallons  of  juice,  say,  from  one  to  two  tea-spoons- 
ful of  powdered  lime,  or  the  same  dissolved  in 


THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  93 

water,  and  strained,  before  being  put  into  the 
juice. 

10.  When  all  the  green  scum  has  been  re- 
moved, the  fire  may  be  increased,  and  the  juice 
boiled   down  until  nearly  as  thick  as  common 
molasses  in  hot  weather,  when,  if  intended  for 
syrup,  it  should  be  removed  from  the  fire,  for 
this   completes   the   process.      If  intended   for 
sugar,  it  should  be  allowed  to  boil  longer,  and 
until  it  will  "  string  into  threads,"  or  present 
an   appearance  of   being   sufficiently  boiled   to 
grain,  when  it  should  be  thrown  off  into  troughs, 
or  coolers,  at  once.     I  am  not  able  to  give  exact 
information  in  regard  to  the  time  it  should  be 
boiled  to  crystallize  readily.     Further  experi- 
ments will  determine. 

11.  If  made  into  sugar,  it  should  be  removed 
from  the  coolers  to  casks  with  holes  bored  in 
them,  so  that  the  molasses  may  drain  off  and 
leave   the   sugar  dry,  as  it  should   be.     These 
casks  are  generally  placed  on  timbers,  with  a 
cement  cistern  underneath  to  hold  the  drippings, 
or  molasses.    After  remaining  in  the  "purgery" 
until  sufficiently  drained,  it  comes  out  fit  for 
sale,  or  use. 

12.  If  cultivated  exclusively   for  fodder,   it 
should  be  planted  as  early  as  the  weather  will 


94  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

allow,  and  quite  as  thick  as  stover-corn.  When 
the  panicles  appear,  or  even  before,  it  may  be 
cut  either  for  soiling  or  for  drying,  and  the  roots 
will  at  once  throw  up  another  crop. 

13.  If  it  is  desired,  the  juice  may  be  fer- 
mented, like  the  juice  of  apples,  being  put  into 
casks  at  the  mill,  and  treated  like  cider. 

14.  The  begass,  or  waste,  may  be  dried  and 
used  for  fuel,  or  for  making  paper,  or  rotted 
down  for  manure. 

15.  If  the  storms  should  blow  down  the  seed- 
cane,  no  fears  need  be  entertained,  as  it  will 
remain  weeks  in  that  condition  without  injury. 
I  must  here  caution  all  persons  who  grow  this 
cane  against  planting  it  in  the  vicinity  of  broom- 
corn,  Dourah-corn,  or  Guinea-corn ;  for  it  readily 
mixes  with  these  plants,  and  it  would  render  the 
seed  worthless  for  planting. 

I  think  I  have  sufficiently  shown  that  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane  may  be  grown,  both  North 
and  South,  with  success,  either  for  sugar  and 
syrup  making,  or  fodder,  or  some  of  the  many 
other  uses  to  which  this  wonderful  plant  is 
adapted.  It  may  be,  and  doubtless  is  true,  that 
the  climate  of  the  South  is  better  adapted  to  the 
production  of  sugar,  inasmuch  as  there  will  be  a 
greater  amount  of  crystallizable  sugar  obtained 


THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  95 

from  the  same  amount  of  juice  than  at  the  North ; 
and  also  that  the  seed  will  be  more  sure  of  ripen- 
ing, and  better  in  some  respects  after  it  is 
ripened,  may  also  be  true.  But  this  should  not 
prevent  the  North  from  engaging  in  its  culture, 
by  any  means  ;  for,  even  though  it  should  cost  as 
much  to  produce  sugar  on  our  own  farms  as  we 
could  buy  it  for  in  the  market,  yet  I  believe  very 
many  would  choose  to  make  their  own  ;  for,  aside 
from  the  fact  that  many  would  prefer  sugar  pro- 
duced on  free  soil  by  free  labor,  they  would 
rather  make  it  themselves,  and  thus  turn  their 
labor  into  money,  than  pay  out  the  ready  cash 
for  an  article  grown  in  a  foreign  country,  or  even 
at  the  South.  But,  should  it  turn  out,  after  it 
has  been  fully  tried,  that  we  cannot  profitably 
make  sugar  from  this  cane  at  the  North,  then  I 
take  it  the  cane  would  be  grown  for  syrup-mak- 
ing ;  and  the  only  possible  thing  there  will  be  to 
prevent  this  —  for  I  think  I  have  shown  beyond 
contradiction  that  this  can  be  done  at  the  North 
—  may  be  that  the  South  can  produce  as  good 
syrup,  and  deliver  it  at  our  doors  for  a  much  less 
price  than  we  can  do  it.  But  I  don't  believe 
that  that  can  be  done  ;  for  I  see  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  be  able  to  compete  with 
them  in  this  article,  for  certainly  they  will  labor 
9 


96  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

under  the  disadvantage  of  bringing  it  here  for  a 
market,  while  we  shall  have  ours  on  the  very  spot. 
After  the  mill  has  been  set  up  and  the  boilers 
arranged,  there  will  be  but  little  expense  except 
for  labor  and  fuel.  In  regard  to  the  former,  I 
believe  free  labor  can  and  always  Avill  compete 
successfully  with  slave  labor,  give  it  an  equal 
chance  ;  in  regard  to  the  latter,  the  begass  may, 
and  possibly  will,  be  used  for  fuel  in  some 
places,  as  in  the  West  Indies,  where  it  supplies 
nearly  all  the  fuel  required  both  to  run  the  steam- 
engiHe  and  to  boil  the  syrup.  I  believe  the 
time  will  come  when  we  may  revel  in  sweets 
grown  upon  our  own  free  soil,  either  from  this 
cane  or  other  saccharine  plants  that  will  be 
introduced.  Glorious  results  are  to  follow  the 
introduction  of  this  plant,  if  all  our  anticipations 
are  realized,  when  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich 
shall  have  the  sweets  of  life  within  their  reach  ; 
for  it  is  the  masses  we  would  benefit.  The  rich 
can  obtain  sugar,  let  it  cost  what  it  will;  but  not 
so  with  the  laboring  man, — he  must  be  deprived 
of  this  luxury,  if  the  prices  advance  as  they  have 
for  the  past  two  years.  But  let  us  not  get 
excited  on  this  subject,  so  that  the  Chinese 
Sugar-cane  excitement  will  be  classed  with  the 
Merino  sheep  fever,  the  Morus  multicaulis, 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  97 

• 

Rohan  potato,  Fowl,  and  other  fevers  that  have 
had  their  day,  and  are  only  recollected  as  speci- 
mens of  our  folly  as  a  people.  This  new  plant 
is  no  humbug,  but  I  believe  a  downright  valua- 
ble article.  Careful  experiments  yet  to  be  made 
will  determine  how  valuable.  Let  each  and 
every  agriculturist  try  it  another  season, —  on  a 
small  scale,  if  he  chooses,  but  at  any  rate  try  it 
and  judge  for  himself.  I  shall  plant  at  least  an 
acre,  and  with  a  perfect  sugar-mill,  and  other 
apparatus  which  I  mean  to  obtain,  I  shall  make 
thorough  and  careful  experiments,  which  will  be 
given  to  the  public  at  the  end  of  the  season. 
Many,  there  are  who  stand  ready  to  denounce  this, 
as  all  new  things,  as  a  humbug,  and  a  worth- 
less article.  To  such  I  say,  suspend  your  judg- 
ment until  a  fair  trial  has  been  made,  until  it 
has  been  proved  worthless,  and  then  I  will  join 
with  you  heartily  in  denouncing  it. 

In  closing,  let  me  say  that  my  object  has  been 
to  give  the  reader  all  the  facts  within  my  reach ; 
and,  though  I  may  not  have  succeeded  in  giving 
all  the  information  that  may  be  needed,  the 
reason,  I  think,  will  be  apparent  to  all.  It  being 
a  new  thing,  of  which  little  was  known  until 
its  introduction  into  the  United  States,  and  the 
time  has  been  so  short  for  us  to  experiment  with 


98  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

• 

it  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  any  one  to  give 
accurate  rules  for  its  cultivation,  treatment,  &c., 
or  to  speak  positively  of  its  properties  and  merits. 
I  have  given  briefly  some  rules  in  regard  to  its 
culture,  &c.,  but  they  must  necessarily  be  imper- 
fect, as  they  are  founded  only  on  my  own  experi- 
ence of  one  year,  with  what  I  have  obtained  from 
others  who  have  grown  it  during  the  past  season. 
I  have  not  intended  to  over-color  the  remarks  I 
have  made  ;  and  in  the  selections  I  have  given 
both  sides  are  shown,  —  the  dark  as  well  as  the 
bright.  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  letters  from 
distinguished  gentlemen,  fully  competent  to  speak 
on  this  subject,  and  who  have  had  some  experi- 
ence. Their  opinions,  you  will  agree  with  me, 
are  entitled  to  great  weight  in  this  matter. 

LETTEK  OF  HON.  MARSHALL  P.  WILDER,  PRESIDENT  OF    THE 
UNITED  STATES  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

Dorchester,  Dec.  19/A,  1856. 
J.  F.  C.  HYDE,  ESQ. 

DEAR  SIR  :  Your  favor,  requesting  a  word  from  me  in 
relation  to  the  New  Chinese  Cane  (Holcus  Saccharatns),  the 
product  of  which  was  exhibited  at  the  late  show  of  the  United 
States  Agricultural  Society,  is  received.  Several  samples 
of  syrup  made  from  this  cane  were  presented  by  Col.  Peters, 
of  Georgia ;  and,  in  my  judgment,  it  was  one  of  the  most 
important  articles  on  exhibition,  connected  with  agriculture. 
No  subject  has  excited  more  deep  and  universal  interest 
throughout  the  country,  for  many  years,  than  the  introduction 


THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE.  99 

of  this  new  plant.  Col.  Peters  is  therefore  entitled  to  great 
credit  for  the  exposition  of  this  article  in  this  public  manner, 
and  also  for  the  detailed  statements  which  he  gave  of  his 
method  of  cultivation,  manufacture,  and  the  result  of  his 
operations.  I  was  happy  to  learn,  on  my  return  home,  that 
yourself  and  others  had  been  equally  successful  with  that 
gentleman,  and  that  it  is  your  intention  to  give  the  subject 
further  investigation.  This  cane  has  been  grown  during  the 
past  season  with  as  much  success  in  the  Eastern  and  Western 
States  as  in  Georgia  and  the  extreme  South,  and  presents  to 
our  farmers  the  prospect  of  producing  their  sugar  and  molas- 
ses as  easily  as  almost  any  other  crop.  It  is  capable  of  being 
cultivated  wherever  Indian  corn  will  succeed,  and,'  of  course, 
to  the  same  extent,  and  to  a  much  greater  profit.  Col.  Peters 
writes  me  that  he  shall  plant  one  hundred  acres  next  year ; 
others  are  proposing  to  plant  largely.  If  it  can  be  manufac- 
tured into  sugar,  or  molasses,  of  which  there  seems  to  be  no 
reasonable  doubt,  it  is  impossible  to  predict  the  importance 
of  this  crop  to  American  agriculturists,  or  to  the  country  at 
large.  Go  on,  my  dear  sir !  You  are  on  the  right  track. 
This  is  not  the  only  species  of  the  imphees,  or  sugar-cane,  to 
be  brought  to  notice.  There  are  other  varieties  in  Caffraria 
and  Algeria,  which  are  said  to  be  very  superior ;  and  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  vessel  which  has  recently  been  sent  out  by 
the  government  of  the  United  States  will  not  return  without 
bringing  a  supply  of  these  plants,  or  the  seed  of  them,  so  as 
to  place  at  an  early  day  before  our  yeomanry  all  the  informa- 
tion that  can  be  obtained  on  this  most  interesting  subject. 

Yours,  with  great  respect, 
MARSHALL  P.  WILDER. 

The  following  letter  from  Gov.  Gardner  will  be 
read  with  interest. 
9* 


100  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

Boston,  ISlh  Dec.,  1856. 
JAMES  F.  C.  HYDE,  ESQ. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  hasten  to  reply  to  your  note  of  the  16th, 
relative  to  my  experience  and  impressions  regarding  the  sus- 
ceptibility of  the  cultivation  of  the  Chinese  Sugar-cane  in  our 
climate. 

In  the  autumn  of  1855,  I  learned  that  an  esteemed  friend, 
and  a  neighbor  in  the  summer  season,  Benjamin  Hemmenway, 
Esq.,  of  Dorchester,  had  grown  some  sugar-cane  upon  his 
lands,  and  that  it  had  matured  and  given  evidence  of  being 
well  stocked  with  saccharine  matter.  Feeling  an  interest  in 
the  subject,  I  applied  for  some  seeds  of  his  own  growth,  which 
he  kindly  gave  me. 

I  planted  them  in  hills,  quite  late  in  June,  1856.  I  con- 
fess they  were  put  into  the  ground  so  late  in  the  season  I  did 
not  expect  them  to  reach  maturity,  and  my  chief  object  was 
to  know  if  seeds  grown  in  our  latitude  would  ripen  suffi- 
ciently to  germinate  and  produce  full-sized  cane.  There  was 
no  doubt  that  exotic  seeds,  brought  from  warmer  climates, 
would  grow  more  or  less  perfectly  the  first  year  ;  but  it  is  a 
totally  different  question  whether  the  seeds  of  such  plants  will 
again  sprout  and  grow  to  perfection. 

Not  anticipating  my  cane  would  ripen,  I  took  but  little 
trouble  in  planting  the  seed  ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  it 
was  planted  in  a  tolerably  rich  loam,  but  without  any  manure. 
In  a  short  time  the  plants  appeared,  looking  like  hills  of  corn, 
and  nothing  was  done  for  it  excepting  keeping  down  the  weeds, 
saving  that  it  was  moistened  three  or  four  times  with  a  weak 
solution  of  guano  and  water.  I  planted  thirty  hills  in  two 
rows,  five  seeds  in  a  hill,  and  about  thae  same  space  between 
the  hills  that  is  adopted  in  planting  corn,  one  end  of  the  rows 
running  under  a  very  large  elm-tree.  The  cane  grew  with 
great  rapidity,  but  there  was  soon  a  very  obvious  difference 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  101 

between  those  hills  that  were  shaded  and  those  that  were 
wholly  exposed  to  the  sun ;  and,  in  the  end,  not  only  a  varia- 
tion in  the  height  of  nearly  one  half,  but  those  that  were  the 
most  shaded  failed  altogether  to  spindle  out  into  seed-blossoms. 

The  extreme  height  of  the  most  favored  hills  must  have 
ranged  from  ten  to  twelve  feet,  judging  by  the  eye,  and  nearly 
or  quite  every  seed  planted  threw  up  a  stalk.  Notwithstand- 
ing I  had  not  hoped,  owing  to  the  period  of  its  planting,  it 
would  mature,  much  of  it  did;  and,  though  an  early  October 
frost  checked  it  (for  it  was  on  low  land),  a  good  part  of  the 
seed  ripened,  and  I  propose  planting  some  of  it  the  next  year. 

I  think  the  following  facts  are  satisfactorily  developed  from 
my  experiments : 

First.  That  seed  grown  here  will  produce  plants  as  perfect 
as  the  imported  seed :  in  other  words,  that  the  cane  can  be 
perfectly  acclimated  in  our  state. 

Second.  That  it  will  probably  mature  in  any  season  when 
Indian  corn  will. 

Third.     That  it  requires  a  sunny  exposure,  as  corn  does. 

Fourth.  That  it  does  not  need  excessive  artificial  fertiliza- 
tion :  or,  in  other  words,  does  not  excessively  exhaust  and 
impoverish  the  soil. 

Fifth.  That,  as  a  green  fodder,  it  produces  more  food  for 
cattle  on  same  space  and  at  same  cost  than  corn. 

Sixth.  That  cattle  prefer  it  to  corn  fodder;  for  I  repeat- 
edly gave  it  mixed  with  corn-stalks  to  cows,  and  it  was  amusing 
to  see  them  carefully  select  the  sugar-cane  from  the  corn-stalks, 
eating  the  former  first,  as  I  have  seen  hogs  pick  out  pears 
from  apples. 

Seventh.  That  it  is  much  more  juicy  and  nutritious  for 
milch  cows  than  any  other  fodder  ;  for  it  is  well  known  that 
sugar  contains  more  nourishment  than  almost  any  vegetable 
production  in  daily  use. 


102  THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE. 

You  will  notice  I  have  made  no  reference  to  the  possibility 
of  this  interesting  plant  containing  sufficient  saccharine  mat- 
ter to  enable  it  to  be  converted  into  sugar  and  molasses  at  such 
rates  as  to  successfully  compete  with  the  sugars  of  Louisiana, 
Texas,  and  the  West  Indies.  Yet  there  is  no  doubt  but  that 
it  far  surpasses  the  sugar-beet  in  this  respect,,  which  has  for 
many  years  in  France  produced  those  articles  profitably ;  and 
as  little  do  I  question  but  that  it  possesses  more  properties  of 
the  Caribbean  cane-syrup  than  the  maple,  from  which  consid- 
erable quantities  of  sugar  are  annually  manufactured  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  New  England. 

In  fact,  it  may  be  found  that  it  is  as  well  adapted  to  the 
manufacture  of  these  necessary  articles  of  domestic  economy 
as  the  cane  of  our  Southern  States.  Should  such  prove  to  be 
the  case,  an  immense  industrial  revolution  is  at  our  doors,  the 
results  of  which  must  be  as  gratifying  as  stupendous.  Many 
millions  of  dollars,  doubtless,  are  annually  sent  away  from 
New  England  to  purchase  Southern  sugars,  which  will  then  be 
kept  at  home  to  enrich  the  producer  upon  the  hill-sides  and 
in  the  valleys  of  our  section  of  country.  And,  better  than 
all,  one  great  staple,  which  is  almost  the  exclusive  growth  of 
slave  labor,  which  props  up  that  institution  and  adds  to  its 
continuance,  will  be  wrested  from  its  tottering  basis. 

Vigorously  pursue  any  practical  course  of  economic  effort 
which  will  tend  to  make  slave  labor  less  profitable,  and  you 
do  more  to  bring  about  that  prophetic  and  certain  day  "  when 
bondage  shall  exist  no  longer,"  and  "  the  enslaved  shall  go 
free,"  than  by  all  the  refinement  of  political  ethics,  or  even 
the  crushing  influence  of  exotic  humanity,  Christian  sympathy, 
and  popular  sentiment. 

In  the  latter  view  of  this  question,  especially,  is  it  our  duty 
to  pursue  a  thorough  and  systematic  course  of  experiments, 
to  fully  ascertain  the  capabilities  of  this  new  plant.  I  rejoice 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  103 

that  a  gentleman  of  your  perseverance  and  intelligence  is 
determined  to  aid  in  accomplishing  this  end.  Count  me  not 
only  as  your  well-wisher,  but  pecuniary  aider,  if  necessary  ; 
and  I  earnestly  hope  success  may  crown  your  efforts. 

I  omitted  to  say  the  specimen  of  molasses  of  your  awn 
growth  and  manufacture  from  this  cane  duly  reached  me.  It 
tastes  deliciously,  and  looks  promising,  realizing  the  proverb 
that  "  the  product  of  one's  own  labor  is  sweet." 

Should  any  facts  in  this  note  be  of  service  to  you,  please 
make  what  use  you  please  of  them,  and  believe  me 

Very  truly  yours, 

HENRY  J.  GARDNER. 

FROM   CHARLES    L.  FLINT,  ESQ.,  SECRETARY   OF   THE    MASSACHU- 
SETTS  BOARD  OF    AGRICULTURE. 

State-House,  Boston,  Dec.  22d,  1856. 
DEAR  SIR  : 

I  have  had  opportunities  of  various  kinds  to  learn  some- 
thing of  the  success  which  has  attended  the  culture  of  the 
Chinese  Sugar-cane,  and  am  happy  to  hear  that  you  are  pre- 
paring a  treatise  upon  it  which  will  embrace,  no  doubt,  all 
that  is  at  present  known  among  us  of  its  natural  history,  its 
comparative  value,  and  the  best  modes  of  cultivating  it.  Such 
a  work,  I  am  sure,  is  greatly  needed  as  a  guide  for  our  exper- 
iments in  the  introduction  of  a  plant  new,  at  least,  to  us,  and 
which  promises  to  prove  so  valuable.  Many  a  new  plant  and 
many  a  new  implement  of  husbandry  is  thrown  aside  after  a 
feeble  effort,  when  a  little  knowledge  of  its  uses  and  value  on 
the  part  of  the  experimenter  would  have  led  to  an  entirely 
different,  and,  perhaps,  perfectly  successful  result.  The  man- 
ual which  you  contemplate  will,  therefore,  come  just  in  season. 

To  say  of  this  plant  that  it  will  work  an  entire  revolution 
in  the  great  sugar  interest  of  this  country,  would,  perhaps,  be 
premature  ;  but  the  fact  that  it  has  sprung  into  general  notica 


104  THE    CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

and  awakened  the  interest  of  the  whole  country  so  suddenly,  is 
strong  evidence  of  its  intrinsic  importance,  especially  as  it 
has  succeeded  in  every  case,  so  far  as  I  know,  beyond  the  antic- 
ipations of  those  who  have  tried  it.  It  bids  fair  to  become  of 
national  importance. 

I  have  some  acquaintance  with  Col.  Peters,  of  Georgia, 
whose  statements  are  before  the  country.  These  statements 
are  perfectly  reliable,  and  show  what  we  may  expect  from  the 
plant  in  a  southern  latitude.  Fine  molasses  has  been  made 
from  it  in  Minnesota ;  while  several  experiments  which  have 
fallen  under  my  notice  in  this  state  have  been  attended  with 
success.  It  has  been  known  and  cultivated  in  France  for 
some  years. 

It  appears  to  grow  luxuriantly  in  all  latitudes  suitable  for 
Indian  corn.  It  is  not  claimed,  I  believe,  that  the  percentage 
of  saccharine  matter  is  so  great  in  northern  as  in  southern 
latitudes.  This  may  affect  its  value  for  the  production  of 
sugar  in  our  climate,  but  does  not  essentially  affect  its  value  as 
a  farm  product,  —  and  especially  as  a  forage  plant,  since  it  is, 
without  doubt,  very  rich  in  saccharine  and  nutritive  matters 
in  the  highest  latitudes  at  which  it  can  be  grown.  I  am  told, 
by  those  who  have  raised  it,  that  cattle  are  so  fond  of  it  that 
they  will  even  pick  it  out  stalk  by  stalk  when  mixed  up  in  a 
bundle  of  Indian-corn  stalks.  There  seems  every  reason  to 
believe,  therefore,  that  as  a  forage  plant  it  will  very  rapidly 
come  into  general  favor,  and  help  us  essentially  through  our 
summer  droughts. 

Of  its  value  for  syrup  or  molasses  I  need  not  speak.  You 
have  shown,  I  believe,  that  it  is  practicable  and'  profitable  to 
grow  it  for  that  purpose  alone.  But  whether  it  is  or  not,  it 
is  at  least  worthy  of  extended  and  careful  experiments,  which, 
I  am  sure,  will  be  made,  and  experiments  will  soon  determine 
the  rank  to  which  it  is  entitled  among  our  New  England  pro- 


THE    CHINESE    SUGAR-CANE.  105 

ductions.    Your  manual  will  encourage  and  assist  these  exper- 
iments, and  it  will  be  of  essential  service  to  the  community. 
Very  cordially  and  truly,  your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  L.  FLINT. 
To  J.  F.  C.  HYDE,  ESQ. 

FBOM   HON.  SIMON   BROWN,  EDITOR   OF   THE   N.  E.  FARMER. 

Office  New  England  Farmer,  Boston,  Dec.  27,  1850. 

DEAR  SIR  :  I  am  glad  to  learn,  through  your  note,  that  you 
are  preparing,  and  about  to  publish,  a  manual  relating  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  Chinese  Sugar-cane,  and  the  best  mode 
at  present  known  of  obtaining  the  juice  and  converting  it 
into  syrup. 

******* 

The  introduction  of  the  sugar-cane  is  only  another  of 
those  blessings  conferred  on  the  progress  of  the  race  which 
have  been  so  frequent  and  beneficial,  and  which  there  is  still 
reason  to  believe  wifl  be  greatly  extended.  More  earnest, 
intelligent,  and  scientific  investigation  into  the  great  art  of 
agriculture  will  undoubtedly  introduce  new  vegetables,  and 
grasses,  and  grains,  of  permanent  value,  and  new  and 
delicious  -  fruits,  of  which  we  are  now  entirely  ignorant. 
Nature  is  prolific  and  bountiful  throughout  her  wide  realm ; 
her  secrets  are  not  all  past  finding  out.  Intelligence  and 
application  will  reveal  them,  and  constantly  confer  new  com- 
forts upon  all. 

I  hope  our  people  will  find  in  your  manual  encouragement 
to  make  multiplied  experiments  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
cane,  and  the  production  of  syrup,  so  that  out  of  all  the 
trials  instituted  a  sufficient  number  of  reliable  facts  will  be 
obtained  to  settle  the  question  whether  it  can  be  produced  on 
the  farms  of  New  England  and  the  West  at  a  cheaper  rate 


106  THE   CHINESE   SUGAR-CANE. 

than  we  can  obtain  sugar    and   molasses  by  raising   other 
crops  and  exchanging  them  for  these  articles. 

My  own  experiments  in  growing  the  cane  have  been  quite 
limited,  only  going  so  far  as  to  sow  the  seed  and  raise  the 
plants  which  perfected  their  seeds  before  frosts  came.  I 
sowed  the  seed  about  the  middle  of  May,  1856,  and  tho 
plants  from  it  perfected  their  seeds  the  first  week  in  Septem- 
ber. I  made  no  attempt  to  express  the  juice,  and  the 
plants  were  fed  to  my  stock  when  I  was  away  from  home. 

I  have  seen  numerous  accounts  of  the  growth  of  the  cane 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  which  are  all  favorable  to 
its  cultivation.  Bottles  of  syrup  have  been  sent  to  me  from 
places  widely  remote  from  each  other ;  and  those  who  have 
obtained  it  express  the  opinion  that  the  introduction  of  the 
plant  will  eventually  enable  us  to  supply  the  market  to  some 
extent  with  the  important  staples  of  molasses  and  sugar. 
Their  conclusions  seem  to  me  to  be  well  grounded. 

If  the  cane  does  flourish  here,  upon  trial,  our  ingenious 
mechanics  will  soon  manufacture  mills  of  various  descrip- 
tions, to  meet  every  want  of  the  cultivator,  and  at  a  cost 
within  the  means  of  every  neighborhood,  at  least;  so  that 
there  is  every  encouragement  to  make  the  experiments,  in  which 
your  manual  will  be  an  important  guide.  . 

I  am,  very  truly,  yours, 

SIMON  BROWN. 
J.  F.  C.  HYDE,  ESQ. 


" 


THE  LIBRARY 

SITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGIt.ES 


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235   Chinese  sugar 
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001  131  104    0 


